Travel Rule
About the Travel Rule at BitGo
The Travel Rule is a regulatory requirement that obligates Virtual Asset Service Providers (VASPs), like BitGo, to gather and share certain customer information for virtual asset transfers that meet specific criteria. This rule is intended to prevent money laundering, combat the financing of terrorism, and improve transparency in digital asset transactions.
BitGo custodial wallets, including both segregated client accounts and Go Accounts, are subject to the Travel Rule. This means you will need to provide specific details when you withdraw or receive digital assets. The Travel Rule does not apply to hot wallets, fiat transactions, or transactions for staking, unstaking, or claiming rewards.
Withdrawals
Withdrawals to a VASP
When sending digital assets from your BitGo custodial wallet to another VASP, you may be required to provide details about the receiving VASP and recipient as part of the address whitelisting process. This information is only needed once per address.
Requesting a VASP Addition
If the receiving VASP is not listed in the dropdown menu, you can request to add the VASP to the directory. You will need to provide information about the VASP for the BitGo team to review. Once verified, it will be added to BitGo's list of known VASPs and will be available for withdrawals. Note: Transfers cannot be performed or queued while a VASP review is in progress. Once the review is completed and the VASP is approved, you will be able to perform your transfer/withdrawal.
Withdrawals to an Unhosted Wallet: Small Deposit Test
For withdrawals to an unhosted wallet (e.g., a hardware wallet or MetaMask), you must complete a Small Deposit Test (also known as a Satoshi Test) to verify that you own the external address you are whitelisting.
The Small Deposit Test is used to verify ownership of an unhosted wallet address to comply with regulatory requirements. You will be given a small, specific amount of the digital asset to transfer from your unhosted wallet to your BitGo wallet. You have 24 hours and three attempts to complete this test.
To successfully complete the test, the deposit must be received from the exact address you specified. For UTXO coins, the amount might be sent from a change address, which can cause the test to fail. You must ensure you can specify the exact address the deposit comes from.
Deposits From an Unrecognized Address
If you receive a deposit into your segregated custodial wallet or Go Account and the originating address is not recognized by BitGo, wallet admins will receive a message in the Activity section of the platform. You will be prompted to provide details about the sender, including whether the deposit came from an individual or a business and their country of residence or incorporation.
About BitGo
BitGo is the digital asset infrastructure company, delivering custody, wallets, staking, trading, financing, and settlement services from regulated cold storage. Since our founding in 2013, we have been focused on accelerating the transition of the financial system to a digital asset economy. With a global presence and multiple regulated entities, BitGo serves thousands of institutions, including many of the industry's top brands, exchanges, and platforms, and millions of retail investors worldwide. For more information, visit www.bitgo.com.
©2025 BitGo, Inc. (collectively with its parent, affiliates, and subsidiaries, “BitGo”). All rights reserved. BitGo Trust Company, Inc., BitGo, Inc., and BitGo Prime LLC are separately operated, wholly-owned subsidiaries of BitGo Holdings, Inc., a Delaware corporation headquartered in Palo Alto, CA. BitGo does not offer legal, tax, or investment advisory services. The statements contained herein are only intended for marketing and informational purposes and should not be interpreted as legal, tax, or investment advice. Please consult your legal,tax,investment, or other professional advisor for questions about your specific circumstances. Digital asset holdings involve a high degree of risk, and digital asset values may fluctuate on any given day. Accordingly, your digital asset holdings may be subject to large swings in value and may even become worthless. The information provided herein is not intended for distribution to, or use by, any person or entity in any jurisdiction or country where such distribution or use would be contrary to law, statute, or regulation. BitGo is not directing this information to any person in any jurisdiction where the publication or availability of the information is prohibited, by reason of that person’s citizenship, residence, or otherwise. The information contained in our press releases, blogs, and presentations should be considered accurate only as of the date of the press release, blog, or presentation. We disclaim any obligation to supplement or update the information in these press releases, blogs, or presentations, except as may be required by law. Product availability and client eligibility will vary by jurisdiction. Services listed may be provided by one of BitGo's affiliated entities.