Correction · 1 October 2026. Unsupported internal wallet ratios, universal confirmation thresholds and blanket legal ownership claims were replaced with observable checks and clearly labelled architecture examples. The original publication date and URL are retained. This is a source-based editorial correction, not an independent security audit.
A confirmed deposit and an account credit are separate events. Litecoin records a transaction output. The service records your account balance under its own policies. The chain cannot tell you whether its internal crediting process has finished.
What a deposit proves
Match the complete destination and amount to the current deposit instructions. Check confirmations and whether the observing node is synchronized. A screenshot of a balance or withdrawal request is weaker evidence than the actual transaction record.
A provider may allocate a deposit address to your account while controlling the signing keys. Your displayed account balance does not establish that a dedicated UTXO remains untouched at that address. Legal ownership and insolvency treatment depend on the provider’s terms and applicable law; this article does not declare all deposits the exchange’s property.
Sweeps and batching are possible implementations
A custodian can consolidate deposits, hold some funds offline and batch outgoing payments. Those are common architectural patterns, not a verified map of every named exchange. An output moving from your deposit address does not by itself establish theft or a missing account balance.
Coinbase documents batching in its fee disclosure. That is evidence about its disclosed charging model. It does not reveal every private wallet, its hot/cold percentages or its full signing architecture. The earlier article’s universal hot-wallet ratios and confirmation thresholds have been removed.
Diagnose the stage that has stalled
| Observed state | What to check next |
|---|---|
| No actual transaction ID | Provider processing status, withdrawal holds and authenticated support |
| Unconfirmed transaction | Broadcast visibility, node freshness and current network context |
| Confirmed output to the correct address | Provider confirmation threshold, minimum, network support and crediting policy |
| Wrong network or destination | Document the exact output; consult the receiving service’s recovery policy without assuming recovery is possible |
Do not send a duplicate simply because one API is unavailable. Two observers can have different chain views. The missing-payment checklist helps organize the evidence before escalation.
Custody evidence has limits
A proof-of-reserves snapshot can address specified assets or liabilities at a specified time. It does not automatically prove full solvency, future access to withdrawals or legal segregation. Read the custody-evidence guide, and identify the report’s scope before relying on a headline.
Sources and checks
Sources checked on 1 October 2026. Historical figures are labelled by their reporting period; illustrative calculations are not observed market results.
