Crypto wallet address guide
Wallet addresses look like random strings of letters and numbers, but the format actually tells you a lot — including which network they belong to. Here's how to read them and avoid the classic mistakes.
What a wallet address actually is
A crypto wallet address is a public identifier — derived from a public key — that tells the network where to send funds. It's roughly analogous to a bank account number: safe to share, and useless to an attacker on its own. What must stay private is the private key (or seed phrase) that lets you spend from that address. Sharing an address never puts your funds at risk; sharing a private key or seed phrase does.
Address formats differ by chain
Every network has its own address format, and they're not interchangeable:
Why the "same-looking address, wrong chain" mistake happens
Because Ethereum, BNB Smart Chain, and Polygon are all EVM-compatible, they use identical address formatting — the same string of characters is technically valid on all three. That's convenient, but it also means your wallet software has to be told which network to actually use; the address alone doesn't specify it. This is the single biggest source of lost funds in crypto transfers.
How to avoid address mistakes
Always copy addresses directly rather than retyping them. Confirm the first and last several characters match what you expect. When a platform lets you select a network, match it explicitly to the network the receiving address was generated for. And when the amount is meaningful, send a small test transaction first.
Ready to send?
If you've got the right address and network confirmed, here's where our public wallets live.
View wallet addresses