Canonical Statement
Proof-of-wallet-control methods may evidence access to a private key at a point in time, but do not establish legal ownership, beneficial ownership, or ongoing control.
Definition
Within this framework, proof-of-control is a time-scoped and method-scoped evidentiary artefact (for example signature or verification transfer) used to support narrow control assertions under documented policy constraints.
Why It Matters
Control evidence is often over-interpreted. Without strict scope boundaries, institutions convert technical proofs into legal conclusions they do not support.
Failure Mode if Ignored
One-off control artefacts are reused as ownership determinations, fraud and delegation risks are ignored, and control statements exceed evidentiary validity.
Scope & Non-Claims
This entry is scoped to regulated banking environments in the EU/UK and operational interpretation of proof-of-control artefacts.
This entry does not provide legal advice, does not establish beneficial ownership, and requires human validation for final compliance determinations.
Related Concepts
- Beneficial ownership and control in crypto contexts (EU) (definition)
- Self-hosted wallet risk controls (EU) (regulatory-context)
- Travel Rule applicability and counterparty information (EU) (regulatory-context)