Research
Enterprise
Centralized Exchanges

Understanding the Functions and Limitations of Proof of Reserves

Nov 28, 2022 ⋅  12 min read

In the wake of the FTX Group’s fallout, centralized crypto custodians are facing pressure to shed light on their historically opaque balance sheets. This has sparked a renewed interest in Proof of Reserves (PoR) — the idea that custodians must be able to prove that they are indeed holding the assets that their clients have entrusted them with. Understanding the nuances that come with PoR assessments will be crucial to properly assess the risk of custodial crypto providers going forward.

Upgrade to Messari Enterprise to read this report

Intel monitoring with real-time alerting for 60+ onchain and offchain events on 500+ top protocols and networks

Enterprise-grade Asset Diligence for onboarding, listing, or delisting assets at your organization

First access to long-form Enterprise Research with deep dives, valuation models, technical explainers, and more

CSV Downloads for all datasets

Access to the Messari API for select datasets. Custom data packages are available on request

Learn More

No charge until upgrade is complete. Cancel anytime.

Already a member? Sign In

Chase's interest in crypto lies at the intersection of economics, psychology, and social coordination.

About the author

Chase's interest in crypto lies at the intersection of economics, psychology, and social coordination.