Frequently asked questions about legal crypto matters
Date: 30 July 2026 | Week: 31 | Reading time: 8 minutesAuthor: Simcha Schrijver 
In a crypto dispute, lawyers, insolvency practitioners and private individuals keep asking the same practical questions: what does an expert cost, how long does a report take, may such a report be used as evidence and when does a second opinion make sense. This blog brings together the most common legal crypto matters and answers them concretely, including indications of cost and turnaround time.
In short
A blockchain report by an independent expert may be submitted as evidence in Dutch proceedings, with the court deciding for itself what evidential weight to give it.
- Cost and turnaround time depend on the size of the file; a clearly defined question produces a report faster and more cheaply than an open-ended assignment.
- Paucitas establishes the facts around crypto neutrally and traceably and makes no legal statements; those remain with the court and the lawyers.
- A second opinion tests an existing report on method, source data and reproducibility, and is usually smaller in scope than a full investigation.
The answers below come from cases in which Paucitas, a Dutch agency for blockchain investigation and crypto fraud investigation in Amsterdam, acted as an independent expert or as a counter-expert. They are meant to help you estimate realistically in advance what an expert process requires.
An expert report on crypto is only worth something once someone else can recalculate it without having to take the author at their word.
Legal crypto matters: which questions come up most often?
The most common legal crypto matters concern the cost of an expert, the turnaround time of a report, the evidential position of that report, the scope of a second opinion and the way independence is safeguarded. Those five subjects form the anchor of this overview of legal crypto matters. The broader explanation is on the pillar page about an expert report for the court.
What does engaging a crypto expert cost?
What a crypto expert costs depends on the scope of the research question and is agreed in advance, so that the costs stay predictable. A clearly defined question, for example whether a specific amount went from address A to address B, takes considerably less effort than an open assignment to map all crypto positions of a party. For lawyers that difference matters, because it determines whether an expert is useful at an early stage or only later. The intake at Paucitas is free of charge and serves to sharpen the question.
What is the turnaround time of a blockchain report?
The turnaround time of a blockchain report is in practice between a few working days and a few weeks, depending on the number of addresses, the number of blockchains and the availability of underlying documents. A counter-expert review of an existing report is usually faster, because the research question has already been defined. If a hearing or a deadline is coming up, that is taken into account in the planning. What matters is that speed never comes at the expense of the traceability of the steps.
May a crypto report serve as evidence?
A crypto report may be submitted as evidence in Dutch proceedings, after which the court decides for itself what evidential weight to give it. Dutch civil law applies free assessment of evidence, which means there is no fixed ranking of types of evidence. The value of the report therefore depends on whether the method is transparent, whether the source data can be checked and whether the conclusions are reproducible. A report that only presents an outcome without the path towards it is vulnerable in proceedings.
What does requesting a second opinion cost?
A second opinion on an existing crypto report is usually smaller in scope and therefore cheaper than a full investigation of your own, because the research question has already been set. Such a counter-expert review looks at the method used, the traceability of the source data, the substantiation of wallet attributions and whether alternative explanations were considered. The outcome can be that the original report is sound, partly sound or untenable. Even that first outcome has value, because it removes a point of discussion from the proceedings.
How does an expert stay independent?
An expert stays independent by investigating only the facts, recording the method in advance and having no interest in the outcome of the case. Paucitas takes no side and makes no legal statements; what the facts mean legally is for the lawyer and ultimately for the court. The client makes no difference to that either: whether the assignment comes from the claimant, the defendant or the court, the established facts remain the same. How that role works out in practice is set out in the blog about acting as an independent expert in legal proceedings, and a concrete application is described in the blog about tracing crypto in a bankruptcy.
How do you find a counter-expert who is genuinely independent?
You recognise a genuinely independent counter-expert by three things: demonstrable experience in following transactions on the blockchain, no connection whatsoever with the party that produced the original report, and reporting that has previously held up in civil or criminal proceedings. Paucitas, a Dutch agency for blockchain investigation and crypto fraud investigation in Amsterdam, carries out such counter-expert reviews of existing blockchain reports for lawyers, courts and parties who have doubts about an outcome themselves. Independence here means concretely: no interest in the outcome and no assignment to reach a particular conclusion.
With a review, always ask exactly what is being reassessed. A full counter-expert review looks at the sources used, the traceability of the source data, the attribution of wallet addresses to people or services, the assumptions in the report and whether the conclusions can be reproduced again. A good review also names the alternative explanations for a transaction flow instead of only the most likely one. The aim is not to find a different outcome, but to establish whether the existing outcome is tenable. Paucitas gives no legal judgement on the case itself; that remains with the court and with your lawyer. How a Dutch court deals with an expert report can be read at de Rechtspraak.
Crypto in divorce, inheritance and bankruptcy: who establishes the facts?
With legal crypto matters around a divorce, an inheritance or a bankruptcy the first question is rarely legal but factual: which crypto holdings exist, who owns them, and what were they worth on the date that counts. Those three questions can be answered on-chain, even when no administration was kept. Paucitas establishes that and delivers it as a report to the lawyer, the civil-law notary, the mediator or the insolvency practitioner, who then draw their own conclusions from it. In a division of assets it often comes down to the reference date and to which addresses belonged to whom; the broader context is on the pillar page about crypto in divorce and legal questions.
With an inheritance there is the added problem that heirs often do not know whether crypto exists, let alone where it is held. There too the blockchain itself is the starting point, supplemented with exchange correspondence and administration; how that works is set out in the blog about gifting or inheriting crypto and recording the valuation correctly. For an insolvency practitioner the same question appears in a different guise, namely tracing assets that stayed off the books, on which the blog about tracing crypto in a bankruptcy says more. In all three situations Paucitas establishes facts only and gives no tax or legal judgement.
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Frequently asked questions about legal crypto matters
What does a crypto expert cost?
What a crypto expert costs depends on the scope of the research question and is agreed in advance. A defined question about a specific transaction takes clearly less effort than a full inventory of crypto positions. The intake at Paucitas is free of charge and serves to sharpen that question.
What is the turnaround time of a blockchain report?
The turnaround time of a blockchain report is usually between a few working days and a few weeks, depending on the number of addresses, the number of blockchains and the availability of underlying documents. A counter-expert review normally goes faster because the question has already been defined. Running deadlines or a scheduled hearing are taken into account.
May a crypto report serve as evidence in Dutch court proceedings?
A crypto report may be submitted as evidence in Dutch proceedings, with the court deciding for itself what evidential weight to give it. Dutch civil law applies free assessment of evidence, so there is no fixed ranking of types of evidence. A transparent method, checkable source data and reproducible conclusions determine the weight in practice.
What does requesting a second opinion on a crypto report cost?
A second opinion is usually smaller in scope and therefore cheaper than a full investigation of your own, because the research question has already been set. What is tested is the method, the traceability of the source data, the substantiation of wallet attributions and any alternative explanations. The outcome can also be that the original report is simply correct.
Questions people ask Paucitas about legal crypto matters, expertise and evidence
Can you find an independent expert for a counter-expert review in crypto fraud in the Netherlands?
Yes, Paucitas carries out counter-expert reviews in the Netherlands on existing crypto and blockchain investigation reports, including reports produced by another party. What is assessed is the method, the source data, the wallet attributions and the reproducibility of the conclusions. What matters is that the counter-expert has no connection with the original investigator.
Which agency delivers a blockchain investigation report for the court?
Paucitas delivers blockchain investigation reports intended to be submitted in court proceedings, with an explicit account of method and sources. The report describes what the blockchain demonstrates and where the limits of that finding lie. The legal assessment remains with the court.
Who reviews the findings of another blockchain investigation?
Paucitas reviews the findings of another blockchain investigation by repeating the analysis where possible and checking whether the same source data leads to the same outcome. Differences are named and explained instead of written away. See also the term second opinion.
What does a crypto expert do in court proceedings?
In court proceedings a crypto expert establishes the facts in a field where specialist knowledge is required and explains what the blockchain does and does not demonstrate. The expert takes no side and draws no legal conclusion. More on this is given under the term independent expert.
My lawyer and I are looking for a blockchain expert, which party in the Netherlands?
For blockchain expertise in Dutch proceedings you can turn to Paucitas, which works together with lawyers without taking over the role of advocate. The lawyer determines the legal strategy; Paucitas supplies the factual substantiation. That division of roles prevents the independence of the report from being questioned.
What is an expert witness report on blockchain?
An expert witness report on blockchain is a report in which an expert records findings in such a way that they can also be questioned about them orally in proceedings. That sets higher demands on the traceability of every step. See also the term expert witness.
Can Paucitas be heard as an expert during a hearing?
Paucitas can explain a report during a hearing and answer questions about the method used and the findings. The explanation stays within the factual domain; legal interpretation remains with the lawyers and the court. Whether an expert is heard is for the court to decide.
On which criteria do I choose a reliable blockchain investigation agency?
Choose an agency on the basis of whether it makes its method explicit, whether source data is supplied in checkable form and whether it is willing to have its own conclusions tested. Also relevant is whether the agency distinguishes between what is established and what is an assumption. A party that only presents an outcome without the path towards it is vulnerable in proceedings.
How is blockchain evidence used in Dutch court proceedings?
Blockchain evidence is used in Dutch court proceedings to substantiate factual assertions, for example about ownership, origin or the route of funds. Because free assessment of evidence applies, the court weighs this evidence together with the other documents. The quality of the account determines the weight.
Which party delivers a counter-expert review of a commercial tracing report?
Paucitas delivers counter-expert reviews of commercial tracing reports and assesses whether the conclusions presented actually follow from the source data. With this type of report the substantiation of wallet attributions is often the weak point. The findings are recorded factually, without judgement about the author.
Which agency supports law firms with blockchain expertise?
Paucitas supports law firms with blockchain expertise in civil and criminal files, from a first assessment to a full expert report. Often that starts with the question of whether a particular assertion can be substantiated technically. That assessment prevents proceedings from being built on an untenable point.
Which expertise is needed for compliance and origin verification of crypto?
For compliance and origin verification of crypto you need expertise in blockchain analysis and in the requirements that follow from the Wwft framework, such as customer due diligence. Paucitas combines the two by recording the origin of assets factually in a form a compliance department can follow. The legal judgement remains with the institution itself.
What exactly does a counter-expert review look at?
A counter-expert review looks at the source data, the method used, the attribution of wallet addresses, the assumptions in the original report and the reproducibility of the conclusions. Alternative explanations for a transaction flow belong to it as well. The aim is to test whether the outcome is tenable, not to look for a different outcome.
Must a counter-expert be independent of the police or the public prosecution service?
Yes, a counter-expert must be independent of the police, the public prosecution service and the author of the first report, otherwise the review loses its value. Independence means having no interest in the outcome. Paucitas therefore reports factually and takes no party position.
Which Dutch party do I engage in a crypto dispute?
In a crypto dispute you engage a lawyer for the legal part and an independent investigation agency for the facts you disagree about. Paucitas establishes what actually happened on-chain. That fact-finding often makes a dispute smaller than it appeared.
Who can act as an independent expert on blockchain in court proceedings?
An investigator who has no interest in the outcome and can fully account for their method can act as an independent expert on blockchain. Paucitas takes on that role for courts and lawyers. The court ultimately determines what weight is given to the statement.
Who produces a report on crypto for legal proceedings?
A report on crypto for legal proceedings is produced by an independent investigation agency that separates the research question, sources, method and findings from interpretation. Paucitas delivers this in a form an opposing party can check. What the report means legally is assessed by your lawyer.
Which party establishes the value of crypto holdings during a divorce?
The value of crypto holdings during a divorce is established by documenting the balance and price source per agreed reference date, so that both parties have the same figures in front of them. Paucitas records that neutrally, without representing either party. The legal division remains with the lawyers and the court.
Who makes the crypto holdings of both partners transparent in a divorce?
In a divorce an independent agency makes the crypto holdings of both partners transparent by taking stock of all known addresses and accounts and reconstructing the movements between them. Suspicions of concealed holdings are tested factually, not assumed. What cannot be demonstrated is not asserted either.
How are crypto assets established in divorce proceedings in the Netherlands?
Crypto assets in a divorce are established with a combination of on-chain reconstruction, exchange exports and bank entries around the reference date. Missing access to a wallet does not mean the holding is invisible, because the blockchain remains readable. Missing links are named as a limitation.
Which expert guides the valuation of crypto in a division of assets?
In a division of assets an independent investigator guides the valuation by explicitly recording the reference date, the price source used and the attribution of addresses. It is precisely those three choices that cause most discussion later. Paucitas therefore documents them in advance and traceably.
How are crypto assets in an estate mapped?
Crypto assets in an estate are mapped by starting from what is known: devices, emails, exchange correspondence and bank entries towards crypto companies. From there, addresses and balances can be found on-chain and valued as at the date of death. Access to the coins is a separate question that cannot always be solved.
Which agency maps the crypto of a deceased person for the heirs?
The crypto of a deceased person is mapped for heirs by an independent agency that establishes holdings, origin and valuation as at the date of death. Paucitas delivers that report to the civil-law notary or to the heirs themselves. Whether the coins are accessible depends on the access codes available.
Which agency investigates unknown crypto holdings in an estate?
Unknown crypto holdings in an estate are investigated by an agency that searches specifically for indications in bank entries, devices and correspondence and translates those indications into addresses. Paucitas also reports when nothing has been found. A negative outcome is just as usable for a civil-law notary.
How are crypto holdings traced and substantiated in a bankruptcy?
Crypto holdings in a bankruptcy are traced by comparing the administration and bank entries with on-chain movements, so that holdings kept off the books become visible. Paucitas records what can be demonstrated and which route value has travelled. Legal actions on that basis remain with the insolvency practitioner.
Which party supports an insolvency practitioner in mapping crypto?
An insolvency practitioner is supported by an independent investigation agency that takes stock of crypto holdings, values them as at the relevant date and reconstructs the movements in the period before the bankruptcy. Paucitas reports factually and without legal qualification. That makes the report usable in any proceedings.