Bridge KYB requirements, explained: what to prepare

Last verified: 30 September 2026. This guide summarizes Bridge's public API documentation as it read on that date. Bridge changes its requirements, and they differ by country, entity type and risk level, so check the linked pages before you rely on any line here.

Sweat AI is not affiliated with or endorsed by Bridge. Preparing the items below does not guarantee approval. Bridge makes its own onboarding decision and can ask for more than its public pages list.

Bridge onboards businesses that want to hold, move or convert funds, including stablecoin flows. Its public docs split business KYB into a standard set of requirements and an enhanced set for higher-risk businesses. This guide walks through each one the way a KYB analyst would: what Bridge asks for, what evidence usually satisfies it, and where a document stops proving anything.

What Bridge asks every business for

Bridge's business overview page lists these standard requirements:

• Legal entity name
• Registered address and principal operating address
• Primary account purpose
• Source of funds
• EIN/TIN, or the non-US equivalent identification number
• Business entity type
• Business formation documents
• Business ownership documents
• KYC on all beneficial owners and/or control persons
• Proof of address, when applicable
• Business description, business website and business industry (Bridge uses 2022 NAICS codes)
• DAO status

Legal name, addresses and tax ID

The legal name must match the formation document and the tax ID record. A trading name or domain is a separate claim to reconcile against it. If the applicant uses a DBA, the formation or registration evidence should tie it to the legal entity.

Bridge asks for both a registered address and a principal operating address. These are often different. A registered-agent address shows where the entity accepts legal service; it says nothing about where the business actually operates. Treat the operating address as its own fact that needs its own evidence.

Location matters for eligibility. Bridge's supported-countries page says services are unavailable for individuals and businesses located in Algeria, Burundi, China, Japan and Tunisia. Within the US, Bridge says it can support customers in most states but excludes those whose principal residential or operating address is in New York. Its own examples show that a New York incorporation can be supported when the business primarily operates elsewhere, with proof of address verification required, while a business incorporated in California that primarily operates from New York cannot be supported. Establish where the business really operates before you submit.

Entity type and formation documents

Bridge says onboarding requirements are typically specific to the entity type. Its formation page lists what it accepts:

Bridge also names one country-specific item: for Mexico, a copy of the Cédula de Identificación Fiscal confirming the entity's RFC.

Evidential limit. A formation document proves the entity was created on a date in a jurisdiction. It does not prove the entity still exists, who owns it today, or that the business operates. For current status, a registry check or certificate of good standing is the relevant evidence; see what a certificate of good standing proves.

Ownership and control

Bridge's ownership page says it must confirm all individual ultimate beneficial owners who own 25% or more of the entity. The identities provided must either be attested to by a control person of the business or substantiated by an ownership document.

Bridge defines a control person as an individual with significant responsibility to control or direct the business, typically an executive officer (CEO, CFO, COO, President) or director.

Two points an analyst should flag before submission:

1. The threshold wording differs within the same page. The key points say "25% or more", while the attestation section refers to owners "who own more than 25%". An owner at exactly 25% is the case where this matters. The conservative reading is to include them.
2. Attestation has conditions. In Bridge's hosted flow it is a checkbox that counts only if the person completing the flow is a control person. In the API it is a timestamp on an associated person, and at least one associated person with control must attest.

When there is no attestation, Bridge requires a document, and it sets conditions on that document:

• 100% of ownership must be derivable or clearly accounted for.
• The document must name the entity it relates to.
• Self-generated documents or attestations listing shareholders should be dated and signed by a verified control person, or by a lawyer or third-party CPA.
• Detailed cap tables produced by well-known equity management companies (Bridge names Carta, AngelList and Securitize) do not need a lawyer or CPA signature.
• If the entity is owned by other entities, Bridge requires similar documents for those owners.
• If there are no individual beneficial owners, Bridge will confirm the individuals who significantly control the entity instead.

Bridge lists accepted ownership documents by entity type. For corporations these include articles listing shareholders, stock certificates, a shareholder ledger or cap table, a shareholders' agreement, board minutes listing shareholders, SEC filings and K-1s. Bridge notes that articles naming only directors or officers are not sufficient, because directors and shareholders are not necessarily the same people. For LLCs the list includes the operating agreement, membership certificates, a membership ledger, K-1s, and for single-member LLCs the IRS 147C EIN letter.

Evidential limit. A cap table is a snapshot on its date. An operating agreement shows the ownership agreed at signing, not after later transfers. When a holding company sits in the chain, a document about the top entity says nothing about who owns the holding company. See ultimate beneficial owner for how to trace indirect ownership.

Proof of address

Bridge does not ask every business for proof of address. Its page says it requires one for businesses with conflicting location signals, such as claiming an operating address in a low-risk region while being registered in a high-risk region or having a control person who resides in one, and otherwise as needed.

When requested, a business proof of address must confirm the current operating address, be addressed to the applying entity, be issued in the last 90 days, and show a physical address, not a PO box or virtual address. Bridge accepts a bank statement, utility bill, government-issued letter, or a current office lease, which may be older than 90 days.

Evidential limit. A utility bill shows that an account at an address is billed to the entity. It does not show the business operates there at any scale. If the address resolves to a coworking desk or a mail-forwarding service, expect questions.

Enhanced requirements for higher-risk businesses

Bridge's enhanced tier includes the standard requirements plus estimated annual revenue, expected monthly transaction volume in USD, disclosure of high-risk activities, disclosure of high-risk geographies (Bridge names Cuba, Iran, Myanmar, North Korea and Syria), and disclosure of customer money transmission, with an explanation of compliance screening if the business moves customer funds.

Bridge's high-risk page lists activities that must be disclosed: money services (check cashing, gift cards, ATMs, remittances), lending or banking, foreign exchange, virtual currency brokerage or OTC, holding client funds such as escrow, and third-party payment processing. It publishes a separate prohibited list that includes gambling, weapons, precious metals, cannabis, adult content, multi-level marketing and mixing, and money transmission or digital asset exchange services provided by users to third parties via Bridge. The same page lists check cashing both as a high-risk example and as prohibited, so resolve that point with Bridge directly rather than guessing.

Bridge also says it may request proof of funds (such as bank statements), proof of operating activity (bills of lading, invoices, receipts, commercial contracts), licensing information for regulated industries, and ad-hoc requests.

Evidential limit. A disclosure is the applicant's statement. It becomes evidence only when records support it. If the website describes cross-border payouts and the application says "treasury only", that mismatch will surface.

EEA-incorporated businesses: the June 2026 changes

Bridge's EEA page describes requirements that took effect from June 15 for businesses incorporated in the EEA. The key business changes:

• An ownership document is required at the business level; a control-person attestation alone no longer suffices.
• If Bridge cannot verify the business with an automated registry check, both evidence of good standing and a formation document are required.
• The registration number's issuing country must match the incorporation country.
• Full KYC is required for all UBOs, at least one director and all authorized signers.
• Authorized signers who are not a director, owner or control person need a letter of authority.
• For high-risk businesses, an ownership percentage is required for each UBO.
• Business tax ID and foreign tax registration items apply to Bridge custodial wallet customers only, with a December 31, 2026 deadline.

Preparation checklist

Use this as a working list before you open the application. The KYB review checklist covers the analyst side of the same file.

1. Legal name exactly as registered, plus every DBA and domain, with evidence linking them.
2. Registered address and real operating address, recorded separately.
3. Tax ID, with an IRS letter or local equivalent in case database verification fails.
4. The formation document that matches your entity type in Bridge's table.
5. Registry status or a recent good-standing certificate, especially for EEA entities.
6. An ownership document that accounts for 100% of ownership, traced through any holding companies, or a control-person attestation where Bridge accepts it.
7. Names and roles of every owner at or above 25% and of the control person, ready for individual KYC.
8. A written account purpose and source of funds that match the website and business description.
9. Industry (NAICS), business description and a working website that describe the same business.
10. An honest answer on every high-risk activity and geography question.
11. For higher-risk profiles: annual revenue, monthly volume, and supporting records such as bank statements, invoices or contracts.
12. Proof of address dated within 90 days, if your location signals could conflict.

Where Sweat AI fits

Sweat AI is an AI-native BPO for banks and fintechs, starting with back-office workflows like KYB, onboarding and fraud reviews. For businesses preparing for a provider like Bridge, we build one evidence profile from registry records, public sources and the documents you authorize us to read, then map it to the provider's published requirements as an evidence assessment. You get one consolidated request list: each remaining item, why it is needed and what would satisfy it. We do not submit on your behalf without authorization, and an evidence assessment is not Bridge's approval. Read how an analyst verifies a business for KYB, or see how this works for stablecoin and crypto platforms.