Nils Silinevics
Partner · AML & Crypto Compliance · Former FIU Investigator
You've initiated a bank transfer, but the platform refused to credit it on Changelly. Changelly is a non-custodial swap service based in Lithuania, regulated under Lithuanian AML Law (transposing EU AMLD6). Unlike traditional exchanges, Changelly can hold your funds during AML checks even though you never created an account. The service uses Chainalysis for transaction screening. Changelly holds swap transactions when Chainalysis flags the source address, requiring AML verification before releasing funds — even though the user never created an account. You send crypto to your deposit address, but it doesn't appear in your account. Or you initiate a bank transfer, and the platform refuses to credit it. You may receive a notification that the deposit is under review, or you may hear nothing at all.
Changelly holds swap transactions when Chainalysis flags the source address, requiring AML verification before releasing funds — even though the user never created an account. Changelly operates as a non-custodial swap service based in Lithuania, but can still hold funds during AML checks. The service integrates with major wallets like Trezor and Ledger — which means users can trigger a Changelly AML hold without ever visiting changelly.com directly. This background matters because it shapes how Changelly handles compliance — and how we approach resolving your case.
The compliance framework: Changelly operates under Lithuanian AML Law (transposing EU AMLD6), overseen by Lithuanian Financial Crime Investigation Service (FCIS). Their compliance infrastructure uses Chainalysis for blockchain analytics and Sumsub for identity verification. Changelly is known for non-custodial instant crypto swaps without account requirements, serving users who want to swap crypto without registering on an exchange — and their compliance team is calibrated to flag deviations from typical user behavior in that segment.
What triggers deposit rejected on Changelly:
Real case — non-custodial fund holding: A user initiated a BTC-to-ETH swap through his Trezor wallet's built-in exchange feature. The swap was routed through Changelly, which flagged the source address via Chainalysis. The user's 0.5 BTC was held by Changelly — but he had no Changelly account, no support portal access, and only an email address. Changelly demanded full KYC for a swap the user initiated from a hardware wallet. We documented the user's ownership of the Trezor, traced the BTC source to a regulated exchange purchase, and Changelly released the ETH equivalent in 11 days.
What Changelly requires to resolve this: Depending on the trigger, Changelly may ask for government-issued photo ID (verified through Sumsub), proof of address (utility bill or bank statement within 3 months), crypto withdrawal blocks (exchange statements, bank records, payslips, tax returns, or business documents), detailed transaction explanations with on-chain evidence, and in some cases a video verification interview. The challenge: Changelly rarely tells you which specific trigger caused the deposit rejected, so you're guessing at what documentation to provide — and each rejected submission makes the next one harder.
Our approach is specific to Changelly: Changelly's unique challenge is that the user has no account relationship — only a transaction reference number. We prepare documentation that proves wallet ownership (signing a message from the source address), traces the source of funds, and provides KYC through Changelly's Lithuania-based compliance team. The key is proving wallet ownership cryptographically — something Changelly's compliance team accepts but rarely explains to users.
Deposit Rejected on Changelly — our strategy: We trace the deposit on-chain (for crypto) or through banking records (for fiat), identify why the platform flagged it, and prepare documentation that demonstrates the legitimate origin of the funds and clears the deposit for crediting.
The submission that matters: Instead of submitting through Changelly's standard support channels (where you'll get automated responses or generic template replies), we prepare a professional legal submission — a structured compliance package with a cover letter from a Swiss law firm citing Lithuanian Financial Crime Investigation Service (FCIS) obligations and Lithuanian AML Law (transposing EU AMLD6). Changelly's compliance team processes legal submissions differently from regular user tickets — they're assigned to senior compliance officers, not support agents, and they bypass the automated response loop that delays most cases by weeks.
Was this triggered by a hack or scam? If your Changelly account was frozen after unauthorized access, a phishing attack, or a SIM swap, the freeze may be a secondary consequence. Our crypto fraud recovery practice can trace stolen assets through on-chain analysis while we simultaneously work to unfreeze your account — the two processes are complementary, not sequential.
When standard compliance isn't enough: Some situations fall outside the normal compliance flow — inherited crypto holdings, accounts registered under another person's name, unprovable source of funds through conventional documentation, or cross-jurisdictional complications where your residence, the exchange's jurisdiction, and the fiat banking path all differ. If that sounds like your case, our complex cases practice handles scenarios that other firms decline.
Further reading: our guide on what to do when a crypto exchange freezes your account covers the documentation and legal strategy in more depth.
We trace the rejected deposit on-chain (for crypto) or through banking records (for fiat). Crypto deposits are rejected when {compliance_tool} flags the sending address; fiat deposits are rejected by banking partners.
For crypto: we prepare on-chain evidence showing the legitimate origin of the sending address, transaction history, and exchange records. For fiat: we prepare bank statements and transfer documentation.
We submit a formal appeal to {p_name}'s compliance team with a legal cover letter citing {aml_law}. Our appeal includes transaction tracing, source proof, and a narrative explaining the legitimate origin of the deposit.
Deposit credited to your {p_name} account — or returned to the source if {p_name} refuses. We advise on deposit patterns that trigger rejections and how to pre-clear large deposits.
This is the core Changelly problem. You initiated a swap from a wallet (Trezor, Ledger, Exodus) and Changelly flagged the source address. You have no account, no login, no support portal — only a transaction ID and an email. We help by: (1) proving wallet ownership through cryptographic signature, (2) providing source-of-funds documentation, and (3) submitting through Changelly's Lithuanian compliance team with legal cover. Without professional help, Changelly can hold funds indefinitely.
No — but they can hold them indefinitely. Changelly is a Lithuanian entity subject to EU AML regulations, which require source-of-funds verification for flagged transactions. If you refuse KYC, Changelly won't return the funds, but they also can't legally confiscate them. The funds sit in a compliance holding wallet. We help you provide the minimum documentation needed to satisfy their AML obligations and get your funds released.
Crypto deposits are screened by blockchain analytics before being credited. If the sending address has a high risk score — associated with mixers, darknet markets, sanctioned entities, or known scam addresses — the platform may hold or reject the deposit. Even if you bought the crypto legitimately on another exchange, the address history matters. We trace the chain and document the legitimate acquisition.
Fiat deposit rejections happen when: your bank's country is restricted, the sender name doesn't match your platform account, the payment reference includes suspicious text, or the banking partner flagged the transfer. Card deposits can be rejected by the card issuer's fraud detection system, not the platform itself. We identify whether the block is on the platform's side or the banking side.
For crypto: the funds may be held in the platform's wallet (not credited to your account) or returned to the sender address. For fiat: the bank transfer may be reversed and returned to your bank. In both cases, your funds aren't lost — but they're inaccessible. We help recover held deposits by providing the documentation needed to credit them.
Tell us what happened — which crypto, which network, what error message. We respond within 6 hours.