Crypto KYC Verification: What Exchanges Ask For and Why

Crypto KYC verification is the identity check a crypto exchange or broker app asks for when you open an account. KYC stands for "know your customer". Cryptocurrency exchange identity verification asks you to upload documents; below are what you will be asked for and why, and how to tell a real request from a fake one. Complete verification only inside the platform's own app or website, never through a link in a message.

What is KYC in crypto?

KYC means the firm identifies you and verifies your identity. One way to do that is with a document such as an official ID. In the UK, the rules define "verify" (opens in a new tab) as checking you against documents or information from a reliable source that is independent of you.

Rules such as the UK's also require ongoing monitoring of a business relationship. That includes checking your transactions (and, where necessary, the source of funds) fit what the firm knows about you, and keeping its customer information up to date. This is why a platform can ask you for more later, even after your account is open.

KYC documents and details exchanges ask for

As of October 2026, Kraken's help page (opens in a new tab) lists these items among its verification requirements. Other platforms differ, so treat this as one example, not a standard list.

• A valid ID document.
• Proof of address.
• A face photo (a selfie).
• Occupation information (if you are not employed, you select unemployed).
• A KYC questionnaire, listed for the level with higher limits.
• For US customers, a Social Security number or tax ID.

Kraken adds that some items may or may not be required, depending on your country of residence and current regulatory requirements. If your address is not confirmed automatically, it may ask for a face photo instead of proof of address, depending on your country. It also says there may be other situations in which it asks for a face photo or an ID confirmation photo.

Before you start, have your ID document and a recent proof of address to hand, and a well-lit place for the photo. If a screen asks for something that is not on the platform's help pages, stop and read the page that explains the request before you upload.

Why platforms must verify you

The table shows the anti-money-laundering rule that covers crypto firms in each place we checked. The US, UK and Canadian rules include checking who customers are, in the cases each rule sets out. The rules differ by country, so check the row for yours.

As of October 2026:

In the US, FinCEN's 2013 guidance (opens in a new tab) treats a business that exchanges virtual currency as a money services business (a money transmitter), unless a limitation or exemption applies. FinCEN describes its rules as the regulations implementing the Bank Secrecy Act. Under 31 CFR 1022.210 (opens in a new tab), a money services business's anti-money-laundering program must include, where applicable, verifying customer identification. That rule does not list specific documents for crypto platforms.

In the UK, firms that provide cryptoasset services within the scope of the Money Laundering Regulations must register with the FCA. In the EU, crypto-asset service providers covered by MiCA are on the list of "obliged entities" and must comply with the EU anti-money-laundering framework.

In Canada, a business dealing in virtual currency is a money services business. It must verify the identity of every person who asks it to exchange virtual currency for funds, funds for virtual currency, or one virtual currency for another, in an amount equivalent to C$1,000 or more.

If you live somewhere else, check your own country's financial regulator. Before you deposit, check the legal entity's registration as described in check registration before you deposit.

How to tell a real verification request from a fake one

Treat these as red flags:

• An email, text or chat message with a link or upload button.
• A request to send ID photos by chat or a messaging app.
• Urgency such as "your account is frozen" or "your verification is incomplete".
• A request for your password, a 2FA (two-factor authentication) code or a recovery (seed) phrase, the words that can restore a wallet.
• Someone who asks you to move your crypto to a "safe" wallet.

Several of these match real cases. In a March 2025 warning (opens in a new tab), the Australian Federal Police described people contacted by SMS and encrypted messaging apps by someone claiming to be from an exchange. The messages carried fake verification codes and were often spoofed to appear in a real existing message thread, so a message inside a familiar thread can still be fake. People who called the fake support number were told to move their crypto to a "trust wallet" controlled by the scammer.

Which? found (opens in a new tab) emails impersonating Coinbase in 2025. They said an updated "know your customer (KYC) registration" was needed, or that identity verification was incomplete. One told readers to upload a passport, driver's license or utility bill to restore access. All of them linked to sites that ask for Coinbase login details.

To check a message, ignore its links and use the official contact details on the platform's website or app. Kraken says (opens in a new tab) it will never ask you to share your password or 2FA codes, or your seed phrase. It also says it will never ask you to install remote access software such as AnyDesk or TeamViewer. For more patterns, read how to spot crypto scams.

Before you upload: protect your documents

1. Open the platform's app or site yourself and start from the verification prompt there.
2. Send documents only through that upload screen, never to a support agent in a chat or an email address.
3. Read what the screen asks for and why. The FTC advises (opens in a new tab) against giving personal information to someone who calls, emails or texts you.
4. Turn on 2FA and log out and back in to check it works. Verification does not protect the account; see how to secure a crypto exchange account.

How long verification takes and why it is rejected

Times and reasons differ by platform. As of October 2026, Kraken's processing-time page (opens in a new tab) estimates that standard verification is instant when it is automated and takes 45 minutes when it is checked manually. Verification for higher funding limits takes a few days. Kraken says processing can be slowed down considerably during periods of high demand, and that a delay does not necessarily mean something is wrong with your application.

To register, Kraken says you must be 18 or older and live in a supported area. It also says that uploading the documents again will not help, and that it will ask for new ones if any are invalid. Check which countries a platform serves before you start.

Fixable document problems come first. Open the verification screen in the app and look for any reason it gives. Kraken's document rules (opens in a new tab) say proof of address must be dated less than three months before you submit it, P.O. box addresses are not accepted, and documents must not be password protected. Kraken also says mobile phone bills are not accepted, so check your platform's rules for which bills count.

If your documents meet the platform's rules and the status does not change, ask support from inside the app. Never pay a third party who offers to verify you or to speed things up.

What verification does not tell you

KYC is how you verify your identity to the platform. It does not tell you the platform is safe, so do the registration check first. To choose where to sign up, read how to choose a crypto exchange.

Risks to understand

Your ID, address and face photo are personal information held by the platform. If someone gets them, they can use them to pretend to be you. The FTC says (opens in a new tab) that in the US, if you think someone stole your identity, you report it to the FTC and get a free personal recovery plan with next steps. Elsewhere, ask your own country's consumer or police authority.

Next, read how to buy crypto step by step, so you know where verification fits in the process.