Subpoena Guide for Dallas Attorneys: Getting Records from Coinbase

Sending a generic subpoena to Coinbase or Binance requesting "all bank statements" will get you rejected. Crypto exchanges operate differently than Bank of America. They hold Ledgers, not statements.

To successfully uncover hidden assets in a Texas divorce, you must use the correct technical terminology in your discovery requests.

1. The Common Mistake: "Usernames"

Do not ask for records related to a "Username." Most exchanges do not use public usernames. They identify users by:

• Linked Email Addresses (Request all historical emails)
• Verified Phone Numbers (including 2FA history)
• Bank Account Numbers (ACH links)

2. Sample Subpoena Language

When drafting your subpoena for Coinbase Inc. (or the relevant entity), use this language to prevent them from wiggling out of production:

3. Requesting the "XPUB" Key

This is the "Smoking Gun." Most attorneys forget to ask for the Extended Public Key (xPub).

If you get the xPub, a forensic specialist like Rollan Forensics can generate a list of every single future address that a wallet will ever create. This breaks their anonymity forever. Without the xPub, they can simply create a new address tomorrow and claim it's not theirs.

4. Dealing with "Off-Shore" Exchanges

If the spouse used Binance (Global), KuCoin, or Bybit, these entities are often non-US domiciled and may mock your subpoena. In these cases, we shift strategy from "Legal Compulsion" to "On-Chain Inference."

We trace the funds leaving the US-compliant exchange (like Coinbase) and entering the offshore black hole. We then calculate the exit value and allow you to argue for "Waste of Community Assets" or ask the Judge to impute that value against the spouse's share of the marital estate.