> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://protocol.bsvblockchain.org/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://protocol.bsvblockchain.org/concepts/digital-asset-recovery.md).

# Digital Asset Recovery

Court-ordered asset freezing and recovery

The protocol includes an **Alert System**: a messaging mechanism by which nodes exchange network-governance messages. **Digital Asset Recovery** is a use of that system that provides a standardised way for nodes to act on court orders affecting specific outputs.

Each node maintains a blacklist of asset **freeze** and **recovery** orders:

* A **freeze order** names UTXOs that a court has directed be made unspendable.
* A **recovery order** reassigns funds from a frozen UTXO to a recovery UTXO, for example to return stolen funds to their legal owner.

The consensus handling of frozen outputs — a transaction or block that spends a consensus-frozen output is invalid, and the confiscation-transaction class that implements court-ordered reassignment — is specified under [Consensus Rules](/specification/consensus-rules.md#contextual-input-rules) and the [Protocol History](/specification/upgrade-history.md#confiscation-transactions-2022-11-11) page. The specific block heights, message formats, and maturity rules are given there.

{% hint style="info" %}
The BSV node software ships with digital asset recovery functionality. The legal processes that drive it are administered off-chain and are out of scope for this protocol reference.
{% endhint %}