A crypto address carries a checksum inside it, so a typo shows up before you send: a wrong address simply fails the check. The network, though, cannot always be told from the address — a 0x… address is identical in Ethereum, BSC, Polygon and other EVM networks, and that is where most lost USDT goes.
Paste an address — we will name the network, verify the checksum and tell you what to watch for.
| Starts with | Network | What it is |
|---|---|---|
| 1… | Bitcoin | an ordinary address, the oldest format |
| 3… | Bitcoin | a script address, often multisig |
| bc1q… | Bitcoin | SegWit: cheaper fees |
| bc1p… | Bitcoin | Taproot, the newest format |
| 0x… | Ethereum and every EVM network | BSC, Polygon, Arbitrum, Optimism and others use the very same address form — the network is chosen in the wallet |
| T… | TRON | where USDT lives as TRC-20 |
| UQ… / EQ… | TON | a human-readable address |
| ltc1… / L… / M… | Litecoin | looks like Bitcoin, but the network differs |
The main trap is in the second-to-last row. Ethereum, BSC, Polygon and a dozen other networks have addresses that look exactly alike, and no tool can say which one you need: that is decided not by the address but by the network picked when sending. Ask the recipient for the network as well as the address — and make the first transfer a small one.
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