During dormant wallet reviews, the single most frequent finding is an unlabelled change address. The holder sent funds years ago, recorded the destination, and never noted where the remainder returned.
How change addresses accumulate
When you spend from a hardware wallet, the device often sends leftover funds to a fresh address it controls. If your spreadsheet only tracks intentional receives, those change outputs sit invisible until you scroll through transaction history during a review.
A practical labeling method
Open your device’s transaction log and sort by date. For each outgoing transaction, identify the change output — usually the address that received the smaller amount back to your wallet. Add a label in your records: “Change from [date] payment to [recipient description].”
Why this matters for dormant holders
Unlabelled change addresses create confusion during future reviews and estate planning conversations. A family member opening your records should see not only where you sent funds, but where remaining balances landed.
Tools we recommend during reviews
Use the export function on your device or a block explorer you trust, but always verify addresses on the hardware screen before accepting labels. Paper printouts of the labeled list belong in the same folder as your session summary.