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Digital Asset docs

Force Transfer

Updated 06-11-2026

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This feature has been introduced with version 0.15 of the Registry App.
For an overview of force transfer, see Force Transfer.

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For Registrars

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Create an Instrument with Force Transfer Enabled

Decide before you create the instrument. You cannot enable or disable force transfer later.
  1. In the Registry UI, click Instrument > Management in the left sidebar.
  2. Click + New Instrument.
  3. Fill in the instrument details, and check Enable Force Transfer.
  4. Click Create.
The Enable Force Transfer checkbox is shown once the operator’s and registrar’s participants have vetted utility-registry-v0 version 0.9.0 or later. To check whether force transfer is enabled for an instrument, click its row on the Instrument Management page: the details show Force Transfer as Enabled or Disabled.
Informing holders that an instrument has force transfer enabled is the registrar’s responsibility.
Archiving an existing instrument configuration and re-creating it with forced transfer enabled makes all existing holdings non-transferable.

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Perform a Force Transfer

  1. On the Instrument Management page, click Forced Transfer above the instrument table.
  2. In Instrument ID, select the instrument. The list shows your instruments with force transfer enabled.
  3. In Sender, enter the party ID of the affected holder. Requester and Receiver show your registrar party.
  4. In Amount, enter the amount to transfer, or click Max. The form shows the holder’s Available funds: their unlocked holdings with force transfer enabled. The amount cannot exceed them.
  5. In Reference, add a note, for example a regulatory order reference. It appears in the transaction history as Force transfer: <reference>.
  6. Click Send.
Force transfer also works when a holder is blocklisted or is missing credentials. To move the holdings to another party, for example as ordered by a regulatory order, the registrar then transfers them with a regular transfer. The usual blocklist and credential checks apply to the receiver.

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Perform a Force Transfer Programmatically

The registrar exercises the Holding_ForceTransfer choice of Utility.Registry.Holding.V0.Holding:Holding (utility-registry-holding-v0 version 0.4.0 or later) on one of the holder’s holdings:
ArgumentDescription
otherHoldingCidsAdditional holdings of the same holder and instrument to include.
transferAmountAmount to transfer to the registrar.
registrarLabelAccount label of the registrar’s new holding.
referenceReference explaining the force transfer.
The result contains the registrar’s new holding (receiverHoldingCid) and the holder’s remaining holding, if any (remainingHoldingCid). The remaining holding is in the account of the holding the choice is exercised on.

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Limitations

  • Locked holdings cannot be force transferred. This includes holdings locked in pending transfer offers and allocations.
  • The participant node(s) hosting the holder must be online, because it automatically validates and confirms the transaction. The holder does not need to approve it.
  • The participant node(s) hosting the holder must have vetted utility-registry-holding-v0 version 0.4.0 or later.

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Effect on Holdings

The table shows how each operation affects the holdings of an instrument with force transfer enabled:
OperationBehavior
MintingNew holdings have force transfer enabled.
Transfers & SettlementThe receiver’s holdings, and the sender’s change, have force transfer enabled.
BurningThe holder’s remaining holdings keep force transfer enabled.
Force TransferThe registrar receives a new holding with the transferred amount. Any remaining amount stays with the holder.
For instruments with force transfer disabled, nothing changes.

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For Wallets

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Detect Force Transfer on Holdings

Holdings with force transfer enabled include this entry in the meta of their token standard holding view (v1 and v2): 
{ "values": { "registry.app.digitalasset.com/force-transfer": "true" } }
Holdings with force transfer disabled have no such entry.

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Show Force Transfers in the Transaction History

A force transfer appears in the token standard transaction history (v1 and v2) as a transfer from the holder to the registrar (the instrument admin), with the reason Force transfer: <reference>. The holder does not submit this transaction, so wallets may want to label it, for example as “Force transfer by the registrar”.

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For Trading Venues

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Check Whether an Instrument Has Force Transfer Enabled

Settlements of instruments with force transfer enabled require all involved participants to have vetted Registry App version 0.15 or later, see the trading venue guidelines. To check whether an instrument has force transfer enabled, call the instrument configuration endpoint of the Registry App with the instrument’s default identifier: 
POST /api/utilities/v0/contract/instrument-configuration

{
  "registrar": "<instrument admin party ID>",
  "instrumentIdentifier": {
    "source": "<instrument admin party ID>",
    "id": "<instrument ID>",
    "scheme": "RegistrarInternalScheme"
  }
}
The payload.forceTransferEnabled field of the response is true if the instrument has force transfer enabled.
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