How to prove you own an Ethereum wallet (and every EVM network)

How it works

Ethereum wallets can sign a readable text message with the address's private key (the standard is called personal_sign, or EIP-191). Anyone can take the message and signature and work out which address signed it. If it's yours, the proof holds.

It isn't a transaction: there's no gas, nothing goes on-chain, and it can't move tokens.

One address, every EVM network

An address like 0x71c7…976f comes from your key, not from a network. The same key controls the same address on Ethereum, Base, Arbitrum, Optimism, Polygon, BNB Chain, Avalanche, Linea, zkSync, Scroll and every other EVM network. So one signature proves you control the address on all of them.

The exception is smart-contract wallets such as Safe multisigs and Coinbase Smart Wallet: the address is a contract, not a key, and it exists on one network. These can be verified too (see below), but the certificate names the network.

Safe multisigs and smart wallets

A smart-contract wallet proves a message by answering "yes" when asked whether a signature is valid for it (EIP-1271; ERC-6492 for an account that isn't deployed yet). VerifiedWallet asks the account itself, live, on its network, and the certificate page asks again every time someone opens it.

Safe: on the start page choose "Use a wallet on your phone" and connect with the Safe app (Safe{Wallet} on the web or Safe{Mobile}), on the network your Safe is on. If your Safe needs several owners, each one signs the message in the Safe app; the page carries on by itself once enough have.
Coinbase Smart Wallet: choose "Coinbase Smart Wallet" and sign in with your passkey. Nothing to install.
Supported networks: Ethereum, Base, Arbitrum, Optimism, Polygon, BNB Chain, Gnosis, Avalanche, Linea and Scroll. Tier 3 wallet screening is available on the first six.

Because a Safe's owners can change, a smart-account certificate shows whether the signature is still valid on that network now, not just when it was issued.

Signing with MetaMask

MetaMask has no "sign a message" button of its own. A website asks, and MetaMask shows a Signature request with the text. To sign on VerifiedWallet:

Open Get verified and click Connect MetaMask (or Rabby, Coinbase Wallet…).
Approve the connection, then read the signature request. It's plain text naming VerifiedWallet, your address, the tier and a one-time code.
Click Sign. No gas is shown because none is needed.

Ledger or Trezor? Connect it to MetaMask or Rabby as usual. The signature request then also appears on the device to confirm.

On a phone? Choose "Use a wallet on your phone" to connect MetaMask, Trust, Rainbow or another app by QR code, or open the site in your wallet app's own browser.

Checking an Ethereum signature

Every VerifiedWallet certificate page checks the signature in your browser automatically.
To check by hand, Etherscan has a Verify Signature tool: paste the address, the exact message and the signature.
Developers can use verifyMessage in ethers.js or viem.

Solana works the same way

Phantom, Solflare and Backpack sign plain-text messages with your Solana key (Ed25519). The same idea applies: free, no transaction, checkable by anyone. Pick "Connect a Solana wallet" on the start page.

Get a certificate anyone can check

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More guides

How to check who owns a crypto wallet

Addresses don't carry names. Here's what does tell you who's behind one.

What is address poisoning, and how do you avoid it?

A lookalike address in your history, waiting for you to copy it. How to spot it.

Is this crypto address a scam? Check before you send

A one-minute checklist before any crypto payment you can't undo.

Crypto proof of funds: how to prove you hold it

A balance anyone can see, plus a signature only you can make.

Questions

Does signing a message in MetaMask cost gas?

No. A plain message signature isn't a transaction. If MetaMask shows a gas fee, you're being asked to approve a transaction, not sign a message.

Do I need a separate proof for Base, Arbitrum or Polygon?

No. Your address is the same on every EVM network, so one signature covers it everywhere.

Can I prove ownership of a Safe multisig?

Yes. Connect the Safe app through "Use a wallet on your phone", on the network your Safe is on. Enough owners sign the message in the Safe app, and the certificate names that network and is checked live against the Safe (EIP-1271).