Blockchain Wallet Address Identifiers: A Comprehensive Guide to Cryptocurrency Address Prefixes

Ethereum (ETH)
Starts with: 0x
Example: 0x742d35Cc6634C0532925a3b844Bc454e4438f44e

Bitcoin (BTC)
Legacy addresses: 1
SegWit addresses (P2SH): 3
Bech32 addresses (Native SegWit): bc1
Examples:
Legacy: 1BvBMSEYstWetqTFn5Au4m4GFg7xJaNVN2
SegWit: 3J98t1WpEZ73CNmQviecrnyiWrnqRhWNLy
Bech32: bc1qar0srrr7xfkvy5l643lydnw9re59gtzzwf5mdq

Binance Smart Chain (BSC)
Starts with: 0x (similar to Ethereum)
Example: 0x8076C74C5e3F5457E38E8C170B3B8cdd4e33a4C4

Solana (SOL)
Starts with: Usually begins with 1 or other specific prefixes
Example: 7xCGv1dP6Fiv4DGUz4FRmuqjZ4qZ8qQaKdBoKtY6RdRh1

Cardano (ADA)
Starts with: addr1
Example: addr1qx2kd28nq8ac5p2yz6h0bwrq0zrqdsv4vc6lpz75y9wqhjqkk77pqkz4d04m0xsdr86mdse6gea66tjhl2zht3qwn5dqfg0rhr

Polkadot (DOT)
Starts with: 1 or 5
Example: 5GrwvaEF5zXb26Fz9rcQpDWS57CtERHpNehXCPcNoHGKv3gk

Tron (TRX)
Starts with: T
Example: TF6qMj8cEqKPvHqDnTDaRc3Y8dsoXrX5io

Litecoin (LTC)
Legacy addresses: L or M
SegWit addresses: ltc1
Examples:
Legacy: LQLbcxXRjzMpSTxhNQGHmXC3ZcNhWKqHCY
SegWit: ltc1qc0hf7gplc0kzp7d56fdwxnmp9aw3z4wdghlxh6

Ripple (XRP)
Starts with: r
Example: rPEPPER7kfLhBZffjWh3rBYs6P2wgQANfQ

Cosmos (ATOM)
Starts with: cosmos1
Example: cosmos1zeeh4qdnlzktqd4jz6pn2zk2l5uaszxr0wqd0

Algorand (ALGO)
Starts with: entire address is base32 encoded
Example: AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY5HFKQ

This list covers many of the major blockchain networks, but it’s not exhaustive. Each blockchain typically has its own unique address format to prevent confusion and improve security.

A few key points to note:
– Some blockchains (like Ethereum and BSC) use very similar address formats
– Address formats can change with network upgrades
– Always double-check the specific address format for the cryptocurrency you’re using