• About Us
  • Careers
  • Contact
No Result
View All Result
Wednesday, October 8, 2025
DeFi Planet
  • News
    • People
    • Business
    • Crime
    • Regulation
    • Crypto
    • CBDC
  • Market Analysis
    • Bitcoin
    • Ethereum
    • Stablecoins
    • Altcoins
    • Crypto ETFs
    • Memecoins
  • Policy
  • Articles
    • Press Releases
    • Opinion
    • Explainers
    • Guest Post
    • Sponsored
  • Directory
    • Companies
    • People
    • Products
    • Wallets
  • Multimedia
    • Videos
    • Podcasts
  • Learn
    • DeFi Basics
    • Tutorials
    • Reviews
    • Blockchain Fundamentals
  • Research
    • Case Studies
  • Explore
    • DeFi
    • Crypto Gaming
    • NFT
    • DAO
    • Metaverse
    • Glossary
  • Jobs
  • Markets Pro
    • DeFi Planet Pro
    • Spend Crypto
    • Swap Crypto
    • Coin Prices
    • Crypto Exchanges
    • Crypto Analyzer
  • News
    • People
    • Business
    • Crime
    • Regulation
    • Crypto
    • CBDC
  • Market Analysis
    • Bitcoin
    • Ethereum
    • Stablecoins
    • Altcoins
    • Crypto ETFs
    • Memecoins
  • Policy
  • Articles
    • Press Releases
    • Opinion
    • Explainers
    • Guest Post
    • Sponsored
  • Directory
    • Companies
    • People
    • Products
    • Wallets
  • Multimedia
    • Videos
    • Podcasts
  • Learn
    • DeFi Basics
    • Tutorials
    • Reviews
    • Blockchain Fundamentals
  • Research
    • Case Studies
  • Explore
    • DeFi
    • Crypto Gaming
    • NFT
    • DAO
    • Metaverse
    • Glossary
  • Jobs
  • Markets Pro
    • DeFi Planet Pro
    • Spend Crypto
    • Swap Crypto
    • Coin Prices
    • Crypto Exchanges
    • Crypto Analyzer
No Result
View All Result
DeFi Planet
No Result
View All Result
Home Articles

All You Need to Know About Proof-of-Reserves: Could It Have Prevented the FTX Crash?

28 December 2022
in Articles, Explainers, Opinion
Reading Time: 7 mins read
109 7
All You Need to Know About Proof-of-Reserves: Could It Have Prevented the FTX Crash?

Contents

Toggle
    • What is Proof-of-Reserves?
    • How Does Proof-of-Reserves Audit Work?
    • What is a Merkle Tree?
    • Benefits of Proof-of-Reserves
      • Trust and Transparency
      • Auditability
      • Fraud Prevention
      • Customer Protection
    • Why is Proof-of-Reserves Becoming Popular After the FTX Crash?
  • In Conclusion

Given recent events in the crypto industry, it may be difficult to entrust the safety of one’s assets to custodial solutions. Proof-of-Reserves provides a solution for those concerned about the transparency of their exchange-held assets: the ability to verify those reserves. This is critical in ensuring that tangible assets back cryptocurrency holdings on custodial platforms. 

In the aftermath of recent events in the crypto space, several tokens have lost over 10% of their value. Binance CEO Changpeng Zhao announced that the exchange would conduct a Proof-of-Reserves (PoR) audit to guarantee complete transparency in asset management at a time when investor sentiment is negative, and the market is in decline. 

This guide explores the concept of Proof-of-Reserves, how it works, and the role it plays in winning investors’ trust.

What is Proof-of-Reserves?

A Proof-of-Reserves audit is conducted by a neutral third party to ensure that a decentralized organization has the assets it claims to have. This is accomplished through the use of the Merkle tree. An auditor can use a Merkle tree to condense all of the client’s balances, representing the consolidated value of the assets of the decentralized entity. 

Without a Proof-of-Reserves audit, DeFi organizations could use customer deposits however they pleased. Proof-of-Reserves ensures that lenders do not exceed their collateral when lending cryptocurrencies. This helps the firm repay lenders in the event of any unforeseen circumstances. 

Proof-of-Reserves can also be referred to as a public report of a decentralized company’s financial activities. Customers can verify if their accounts were included in the Proof-of-Reserves process. 

Anyone new to the cryptocurrency market should ensure that the exchange they choose has a dedicated Proof-of-Reserves audit and a separate cold wallet where users’ funds are stored. 

How Does Proof-of-Reserves Audit Work?

Custodial institutions hold the cryptocurrency assets of their clients in a hot wallet and process withdrawal requests from there. The institution also creates a cold wallet to store customers’ funds offline. Users must first obtain a wallet address before they can make deposits.

Deposits are split between the “hot” and the “cold” wallets. Customers of custodial financial platforms do not have complete control over their assets because the platforms themselves store the private keys to the assets’ addresses. 

Investors can learn more about an institution’s assets by tracing the transactions involving the institution’s hot and cold wallets. 

However, this only shows the total assets in custody as a whole without indicating whose assets are included. Proof-of-Reserves involves auditing the institution’s reserves and demonstrating that its customers use those reserves. This process is carried out by using the Merkle tree.

What is a Merkle Tree?

The Merkle Tree data structure makes it easy to access and safe to store data. The goal of the Merkle tree is to organize related pieces of data so that each can be accessed independently without having to go through every branch of the data. The Merkle root is the central node of the tree, and the branches are made up of different types of information. 

The Merkle root serves as the central hub that links all of the data nodes together and verifies that accurate information is being kept in each of the data subtrees. It’s like having a single checkpoint for the entire data tree. As a bonus, it offers a standardized method of data security, making it, so that information kept at the various outposts is safe from corruption. 

Merkle trees have already emerged as the primary data management method and central component for blockchains to keep track of the ever-expanding data set generated by users of the network. Merkle trees provide a storage and identification system that stores data by hash rather than by chain because each block added to the chain is identified by a hash. Consequently, the network does not need to compute full blocks to verify data within the block using the block’s hash. 

The Proof-of-Reserves function thus records an on-chain representation of a miniature Merkle tree detailing the exchange’s liabilities and assets. An auditor starts the process by considering a period record of an institution’s assets in custody. The auditor then uses a Merkle Tree to arrange each data in the record.

Source: Coingecko

Benefits of Proof-of-Reserves

Trust and Transparency

Market capitalization and the number of tokens in circulation for digital assets have increased dramatically since Satoshi Nakamoto published the Bitcoin whitepaper. Regarding policy concerns, most people agree that a lack of transparency makes it difficult to invest more money and devise new ways to improve technology. 

The transparency and auditability of digital assets are their main selling points. Despite the paradigm-shifting nature of public blockchains, databases held by centralized parties make transfers and balances more difficult. Proof-of-Reserves confirms that a centralized party controls the assets in its reserve. 

Auditability

Blockchain technology is intended to provide a secure, auditable, and decentralized trust system. 

Most digital asset platforms, however, do not link their transactions or user balances to public blockchains because they are centralized intermediaries. 

Instead, these transactions are stored in the private databases of the centralized service providers (off-chain transactions).

Most digital currency exchanges combine user funds from multiple wallets for convenience. These mixed wallets are not auditable, meaning that the use of mixed wallets and off-chain transactions can jeopardize the concept of a publicly accessible, auditable ledger and data.

Fraud Prevention

If the Proof-of-Reserves is standardized and made available to the public, it may deter and clarify issues related to holding insufficient reserves or failure to disclose losses.

Moreover, hackers frequently target digital asset platforms and custodians, as they are similar to centralized platforms. Having a standard audit practice for the whole industry can help cut down on these reserve losses and increase the chances of recovering them. 

Customer Protection

In the United States, there is a statewide transmitter licensing regime that imposes stringent compliance requirements meant to safeguard consumers. MSBs (money services businesses) are usually subject to some customer protection measures imposed by state regulators. 

Why is Proof-of-Reserves Becoming Popular After the FTX Crash?

After the collapse of the FTX cryptocurrency exchange in November 2022 and subsequent remarks by Binance about the importance of transparency, Proof-of-Reserves is becoming more popular.

Proof-of-Reserves is a secure and transparent method of ensuring the safety of customer funds, and it will become increasingly important as regulators seek to establish industry standards to protect consumers. 

There is a strong correlation between the volume of trades and the value of customer deposits at cryptocurrency exchanges, making them the most popular type of cryptocurrency business. In light of the failure of many cryptocurrency companies in 2022 due to liquidity issues, regulations requiring Proof-of-Reserves may soon be implemented. 

Proof-of-Reserves should be implemented by any cryptocurrency company that acts as a custodian for customers, as it provides independent evidence that customer funds are secure. 

Non-custodial crypto businesses are exempt from implementing Proof-of-Reserves because they do not keep their customers’ funds on hand. It should be noted, however, that displaying Proof-of-Reserves is pointless if the liabilities are not disclosed. 

While the early adoption of Proof-of-Reserves is encouraging, a more prudent strategy would be to evaluate the full balance sheet, keeping a close eye on liabilities while maintaining transparency about capital reserves. Not just the company’s reserves matter; the company’s exposure is also critical. For instance, FTX divested assets and income to over 130 companies. 

The FTX collapse has necessitated tighter regulation of the cryptocurrency market. Although key market players are doing everything possible to restore public trust, more than Proof-of-Reserves is needed. 

In Conclusion

  • The crypto industry is in disarray following a wave of thefts from custodial financial platforms. Regardless of the unfortunate events, the implementation of Proof-of-Reserves is a step in the right direction.
  • The entire industry is putting pressure on centralized exchanges to be more transparent. Users may soon be able to independently verify claims and hold exchanges accountable.
  • Although Proof-of-Reserves is a crucial factor in determining the legitimacy of a crypto platform, it is only one of several criteria. Crypto users must take precautionary measures by learning how to secure their cryptocurrencies.

 

If you would like to read more articles like this, visit DeFi Planet and follow us on Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, and Instagram.

“Take control of your crypto portfolio with MARKETS PRO, DeFi Planet’s suite of analytics tools.”

Don't miss out!

Subscribe To Our Newsletter

Receive top education news, lesson ideas, teaching tips and more!
Invalid email address
Give it a try. You can unsubscribe at any time.
Thanks for subscribing!
Share67Tweet42Share12
Adedamola Ojedokun

Adedamola Ojedokun

Related Posts

DeFi Automation: What it is, How it Works, Why it Matters, and the Risks Involved
Articles

DeFi Automation: What it is, How it Works, Why it Matters, and the Risks Involved

8 October 2025
Slippage, Front-Running, and MEV: The Hidden Costs of DeFi Trading
Articles

Slippage, Front-Running, and MEV: The Hidden Costs of DeFi Trading

5 October 2025
What Is Social Recovery, and Can It Solve the ‘Lost Seed Phrase’ Problem?
Articles

What Is Social Recovery, and Can It Solve the ‘Lost Seed Phrase’ Problem?

5 October 2025
Proof of Personhood: A Privacy-First Approach to Identity Verification
Articles

Proof of Personhood: A Privacy-First Approach to Identity Verification

5 October 2025

Editors Picks

Web3 in 2025: Where We Are, What’s Next, and What the Data Says

Web3 in 2025: Where We Are, What’s Next, and What the Data Says

byOlayinka Sodiq
21 July 2025
0

What Is a Rebase Token and How Does It Work?

What Is a Rebase Token and How Does It Work?

byOlajumoke Oyaleke
28 June 2025
0

What Are DeFi Options Vaults, and How Do They Work?

What Are DeFi Options Vaults, and How Do They Work?

byOlajumoke Oyaleke
26 June 2025
0

What Are Teardrop Attacks in Crypto?

byOlajumoke Oyaleke
17 June 2025
0

What Are Fractional NFTs, and How Do They Work?

What Are Fractional NFTs, and How Do They Work?

byBlessing Lisafi
7 February 2024
0

Read More

Chain of Thoughts

The Aesthetics of Web3: Why Vibe Matters in Decentralized Communities

The Aesthetics of Web3: Why Vibe Matters in Decentralized Communities

byOlu Omoyele
27 September 2025
0

...

Zero-Knowledge Everything: Trust, Privacy, and Verification in the Digital Age

Zero-Knowledge Everything: Trust, Privacy, and Verification in the Digital Age

byOlu Omoyele
30 August 2025
0

...

What Happens When AI Gets a Wallet?

What Happens When AI Gets a Wallet?

byOlu Omoyele
31 July 2025
0

...

The Game-changing Triumvirate: Blockchain, Data Science, and Artificial Intelligence

The Game-changing Triumvirate: Blockchain, Data Science, and Artificial Intelligence

byOlu Omoyele
30 June 2025
0

...

Markets Update

Your Weekend Crypto Roundup | October 2025 (Week 1)

5 days ago

What $1 Billion in Liquidations Means for Market Stability

1 week ago

Why Crypto’s Cross-Chain Future Depends on Regulatory Readiness

1 week ago

MicroStrategy’s Debt-Fueled Bitcoin Buys: Smart Treasury Move or Dangerous Precedent?

1 week ago

XRP Reserves Spiked by 1.2B: What Does This Mean for Market Adoption?

1 week ago

Is Crypto Adoption Strongest Where Fiat Is Weakest?

1 week ago
Read More

Events

  • No events
  • Spotlight

    All about Ethereum
    All about Algorand
    All about Bitcoin
    All about Gora

    Press Releases

    Jiuzi Holdings, Inc. Announces Phased Rollout of $1 Billion Cryptocurrency Acquisition Plan; First Bitcoin Purchase to Be Completed Within Two Weeks

    bychainwire
    8 October 2025
    0

    Rome Launches Its Genesis NFT Collection “Imperia” on Magic Eden Launchpad

    bychainwire
    8 October 2025
    0

    Meanwhile, Bitcoin Life Insurer, Secures $82M to Meet Soaring Demand for Inflation-Proof Savings

    bychainwire
    8 October 2025
    0

    Pepeto Presale Exceeds $6.93 Million; Staking and Exchange Demo Released

    Pepeto Presale Exceeds $6.93 Million; Staking and Exchange Demo Released

    bychainwire
    7 October 2025
    0

    Eightco Holdings Inc. ($ORBS) Digital Asset Treasury Launches “Chairman’s Message” Video Series

    Eightco Holdings Inc. ($ORBS) Digital Asset Treasury Launches “Chairman’s Message” Video Series

    bychainwire
    7 October 2025
    0

    Read More

    ADVERTISING

    ABOUT

    TEAM

    CAREERS

    CONTACT

    TERMS & CONDITIONS

    PRIVACY POLICY

    © Copyright 2025 DeFi Planet

    Welcome Back!

    Login to your account below

    Forgotten Password?

    Retrieve your password

    Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

    Log In

    Add New Playlist

    No Result
    View All Result
    • News
      • People
      • Business
      • Crime
      • Regulation
      • Crypto
      • CBDC
    • Market Analysis
      • Bitcoin
      • Ethereum
      • Stablecoins
      • Altcoins
      • Crypto ETFs
      • Memecoins
    • Policy
    • Articles
      • Press Releases
      • Opinion
      • Explainers
      • Guest Post
      • Sponsored
    • Directory
      • Companies
      • People
      • Products
      • Wallets
    • Multimedia
      • Videos
      • Podcasts
    • Learn
      • DeFi Basics
      • Tutorials
      • Reviews
      • Blockchain Fundamentals
    • Research
      • Case Studies
    • Explore
      • DeFi
      • Crypto Gaming
      • NFT
      • DAO
      • Metaverse
      • Glossary
    • Jobs
    • Markets Pro
      • DeFi Planet Pro
      • Spend Crypto
      • Swap Crypto
      • Coin Prices
      • Crypto Exchanges
      • Crypto Analyzer

    © Copyright 2024 DeFi Planet   |   Terms & Conditions   |   Privacy Policy

    -
    00:00
    00:00

    Queue

    Update Required Flash plugin
    -
    00:00
    00:00