Why a Balance Screenshot Proves Nothing (and What to Use Instead)
Ask anyone for proof that they hold crypto and the most common answer is a screenshot. It feels like evidence. It is not.
How easy it is to fake
A screenshot is an image. Editing the numbers in it takes a minute with free tools. Even without editing, someone can screenshot a wallet they do not own, or a demo balance, or a testnet account.
The person looking at the image cannot tell any of these apart from the real thing.
What makes something proof
Proof is something the other side can check without trusting you. A screenshot fails that test. A receipt that comes from a real transfer from the wallet and a balance read from the public blockchain passes it much better.
What a verified receipt adds
Control: you sent a small payment from the wallet, which ties the proof to someone who can move funds from it.
A checked number: the balance is read from the blockchain, not typed in.
A date: the receipt states when the balance was checked.
What it still cannot do
A pof.lol receipt is a snapshot of the balance at the moment you made the proof. It is not a live balance and it does not promise the funds are still there later.
It also cannot tell you what the person plans to do with the money. It is one piece of trust, not all of it.
When a screenshot is still fine
For a casual chat with friends, nobody needs proof. A screenshot is fine when nothing depends on it.
FAQ
Can a receipt be edited like a screenshot?
The receipt is a page generated from the proof, not an image you upload.
Is the wallet address shown?
No.
Why 10¢?
Sending a small payment from the wallet is how the proof is tied to the wallet's owner.