How to verify a digital collectible, step by step

To verify a digital collectible, open its page in the registry on the issuer's official website and check the serial number and attributes against what you were shown. Screenshots, photos and forwarded links don't prove anything on their own; the record on the official site is the only source of truth.

What "verifying" a digital item actually means

With a physical item you can feel the material, inspect the print or look for a hologram. A digital collectible is a record kept by whoever issues and tracks it. So verification comes down to three questions:

1. Does the record exist in the official registry?
2. Do the attributes match what you were shown or told?
3. Who owns it right now, and where can you see that?

The first two are usually public. The third depends on the service: some show the owner on a public page, but ownership is ultimately confirmed inside the owner's own account.

Step 1: Make sure you're on the official site

The most common mistake is checking an item on a page that only looks official. Before you start:

• type the address yourself or use a bookmark instead of tapping a link from a message;
• read the whole domain: an extra letter, a hyphen or a different ending is a warning sign;
• walk away from any page that asks for your password, card details or a verification code just to "check" an item.

Looking up a registry record should never cost you money or require a password.

Step 2: Find the item's registry page

Items tracked in a registry normally have their own page, reachable from the official site, a public catalog or the owner's collection. If someone sends you a link, don't tap it blindly; read the address and confirm the domain first.

If you can't find the page on the official site, treat the item as unverified.

Step 3: Check the serial number and attributes

Compare the registry page with what you were shown:

A mismatch in even one field is a reason to stop. For background on numbering, see collectible serial numbers explained.

Step 4: Confirm ownership the right way

Keep two things apart:

• The public page shows that the record exists and what its attributes are.
• Your personal collection, inside your account, shows that the item belongs to you.

If you've received an item, sign in on the official site and find it in your collection. If someone has only promised to send it, it isn't yours until the transfer has been completed on the site itself and, where the service works that way, accepted by you.

Red flags

• You're shown only a screenshot or a video, with no link to an official page.
• The link points to a lookalike domain.
• The number in the image differs from the registry by even one character.
• You're being rushed: "no time to check, decide now."
• You're asked for a password, a code from a text or email, or card details to "confirm" something.
• Someone suggests transferring the item outside the site, through a third-party service or a private arrangement in chat.

Any one of these is a reason to end the conversation and check everything yourself from the official site. General habits for links and codes are in our guide to QR code safety.

How Crypto Sticker does it

Every Crypto Sticker has a public passport page in the registry on the official domain, cryptosticker.org. It shows the serial number, series (Genesis, Next or Evolution), faction (Solars or Hearts), level, status, owner and history. To check a sticker:

1. Open cryptosticker.org by typing it or from a bookmark.
2. Go to the sticker's page from your collection, through the catalog, or via a link whose address you've checked.
3. Compare the number, series, faction and level with what you were shown.
4. If the sticker is yours, sign in and find it in your personal collection.

The passport confirms that the record exists in the registry. On its own it does not prove ownership, and it is not an identity document or a government document; ownership is shown in the owner's personal collection. See the digital passport page, or read what is a digital product passport for the general idea.

If someone sends you a sticker as a gift, ownership passes to you only once you accept it. Until then, the sticker stays with the sender. The rules are on the gifts page.

Quick answers

Someone sent me a link to the passport. Isn't that enough?

The link helps, but check its address. It's safer to open the site yourself and navigate to the page from there.

Can I verify an item without an account?

Public registry pages can usually be opened without signing in. To see your own collection and confirm ownership, you need to sign in.

What if the number doesn't show up?

Check that you've typed it correctly, prefix included. If the record still can't be found on the official site, treat the item as unverified and contact the site's support.

The short version

Verifying a digital collectible means checking it against the official registry, not against pictures. Open the official site yourself, find the item's page, compare the number and attributes, and confirm ownership in your own collection. If anyone rushes you or asks for a password, stop: a genuine check needs neither.