How to send and withdraw crypto safely: wallet addresses, checks and scams to avoid

To send or withdraw crypto, copy the wallet address from the account that will receive it, paste it into the app you send from, choose the same network on both sides, check the address and confirm. A wallet address is a long string of letters and numbers; you find yours on the Deposit or Receive screen of your exchange or wallet. Crypto transfers cannot be reversed, so check more than the first and last characters, and send a small test amount first.

This guide covers where to find your address, the steps, the checks, two address scams, memo fields and what to do if something goes wrong. To pick the network, see our guide to USDT networks.

What is a wallet address?

A wallet address is the public identifier of a crypto wallet on one blockchain, usually a long string of numbers and letters.¹ Bitcoin.org compares a Bitcoin address to an email address: it is the only information someone needs to pay you.² Formats differ by blockchain: an Ethereum address has 42 characters and starts with 0x,³ while a TRON address has 34 characters and starts with T.⁴

Your address is safe to share: it is not your private key, which signs transactions and gives you control over the funds.³ Our guide to cold and hot wallets explains how keys work.

How to find your wallet address

• On an exchange: open Deposit and choose the coin and the network. The address appears there, usually with a QR code.
• In a wallet app: tap Receive and choose the coin and the network.

Choose the network before you copy, because an address belongs to one network. Some wallets, especially Bitcoin wallets, show a new address each time. That is normal: for privacy, a Bitcoin address should ideally be used only once to receive funds.²

How to send or withdraw crypto, step by step

Withdrawing is sending crypto out of an exchange account; the exchange shows its fee before you confirm. Sending from a self-custody wallet follows the same steps, but you pay the network fee in the network’s own coin.

1. Start on the receiving side. Open Deposit or Receive, choose the coin and the network, and copy the address, plus the memo or tag if one is shown.
2. Open Withdraw or Send on the sending side and choose the same coin and network.
3. Paste the address or scan the QR code, and add the memo or tag if you have one. Never type an address by hand.
4. Check the address: the first characters, the last characters and a few in the middle.
5. Read the summary: the fee, the amount that will arrive and any minimum deposit.
6. Confirm with your two-factor code or PIN, and keep the transaction ID (TxID).

How to check a wallet address before you send

Ethereum.org’s rule is simple: make sure the address exactly matches the intended recipient’s. Sending to the wrong address is a common mistake, and a transaction sent on Ethereum cannot be reversed.⁵ How you enter the address matters too:

How you enter it	Protects against	Watch for
Copy and paste	Typing mistakes	Malware that swaps the copied address
Scan the QR code	Typing and copying mistakes	Fake codes: scan only the receiving platform’s own code
Pick a saved address	Typos and look-alike addresses	Check it carefully when you save it
Copy it from your history	Nothing	Address poisoning: never do this
Type it by hand	Nothing	Easy to get wrong: avoid it

Do not stop at the first and last characters: scammers create look-alike addresses that match both.⁶ Check a few characters in the middle too.

Two scams that slip in a fake address

Address poisoning. Many people copy an address from their recent transaction history. Scammers exploit that habit: they create a look-alike of an address you use and make it appear in your history with a tiny transfer, a zero-value transfer or a fake token.⁶ If you copy it from there, your crypto goes to them. A Carnegie Mellon University study counted 270 million such attempts on Ethereum and BNB Smart Chain over two years, with at least US$83.8 million lost.⁶ Never copy an address from your history.

Clipboard malware. A “clipper” is malware that replaces a wallet address you copy with one that the attacker controls.⁷ In a 2026 campaign that Microsoft analyzed, the malware swapped TRON addresses and some Bitcoin addresses for ones with the same first two characters, and it also hunted for copied seed phrases.⁷ Compare the address after you paste it, and never copy a seed phrase.

Memo, tag or destination tag: when you need one

On some networks, one exchange address serves many customers, told apart by an extra number or text: a memo, tag or destination tag. On the XRP Ledger, for example, a destination tag tells an exchange which customer to credit.⁸ If the deposit screen of the receiving platform shows a memo or tag, copy it into the memo field when you withdraw; without it, the platform may not know whose account the funds belong to. If it shows none, leave the field empty. YimmiT’s deposit guide, for example, says that its supported assets do not currently require a memo or tag, and tells you to check the deposit page for special requirements.⁹

Why a test transfer is worth it

A test transfer is a small amount that you send first, to the same address on the same network. If the address, the network or the memo is wrong, you lose only the test. Make it larger than any minimum deposit, wait until it arrives, then send the rest to the same saved or freshly copied address. The second fee is small next to the amount it protects.

Security features that protect withdrawals

Exchanges add checks so that a stolen password is not enough to empty an account:

• Two-factor authentication (2FA). Without the second factor, a hacker who knows your password still cannot log in.¹⁰ An authenticator app is safer than a code by text message or email, which a SIM swap or a hacked email account can expose.¹⁰
• Address allowlist (whitelist or address book): you save trusted addresses, and some platforms let you limit withdrawals to them.
• Waiting periods: some platforms confirm a new address by email or delay its first use, and others pause withdrawals for a while after a password or 2FA change.

What to do if something goes wrong

The FTC warns that crypto payments typically are not reversible: you can usually only get your money back if the person you paid sends it back.¹ Start with the transaction ID: a block explorer for that network shows whether the transfer is pending, failed or successful.¹²

• Successful, but not received: send the transaction ID, amount, network, address and memo to the support team of the receiving platform. A missing memo or an unsupported network can sometimes be fixed, though not always, and some platforms charge for it.
• Sent to a scammer: stop all contact, save the evidence and report it to the exchange you sent from. In the U.S., also report it to the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.¹
• A withdrawal you did not make: change your password, secure your email and 2FA, and contact your exchange at once.

Frequently asked questions

How do I find my wallet address?

Open Deposit on your exchange, or Receive in your wallet app, and choose the coin and the network. The address appears there, usually with a QR code.

Which wallet address do I use for a withdrawal?

The deposit address of the account that will receive the crypto, on the same network as the withdrawal, plus its memo or tag if one is shown.

Is it safe to share my wallet address?

Yes. People need it to pay you, and it cannot be used to take your funds. Blockchains are public, though, so anyone who has your address can see its transactions.

Can I cancel or reverse a crypto transfer?

No. Once a transfer is on the blockchain, it cannot be canceled, and usually only the person who received the crypto can send it back.

Why has my crypto not arrived?

Look up the transaction ID on a block explorer. If it is confirmed but not in your account, check the network and the memo, then contact the support team of the receiving platform.

Related guides: cold wallet vs hot wallet · how crypto exchanges work

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Risk warning. Crypto assets are volatile and carry risk. Crypto transfers are irreversible, and crypto sent to a wrong address, on a wrong network or without a required memo may not be recoverable. This article is for educational purposes only and is not financial, investment or security advice.

Sources

1. U.S. Federal Trade Commission, Consumer Advice, "What To Know About Cryptocurrency and Scams." https://consumer.ftc.gov/articles/what-know-about-cryptocurrency-scams ↩
2. Bitcoin.org, "Vocabulary." https://bitcoin.org/en/vocabulary ↩
3. Ethereum.org, "Ethereum accounts." https://ethereum.org/developers/docs/accounts/ ↩
4. TRON Developer Hub, "Accounts and keys." https://developers.tron.network/docs/account ↩
5. Ethereum.org, "Ethereum security and scam prevention." https://ethereum.org/security/ ↩
6. Tsuchiya, Dong, Soska and Christin (Carnegie Mellon University), "Blockchain Address Poisoning," USENIX Security Symposium, 2025. https://www.usenix.org/conference/usenixsecurity25/presentation/tsuchiya ↩
7. Microsoft Security Blog, "Crypto Clipper uses Tor and worm-like propagation for persistence and control" (June 17, 2026). https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/security/blog/2026/06/17/crypto-clipper-uses-tor-worm-like-propagation-for-persistence-control/ ↩
8. XRP Ledger documentation (xrpl.org), "Source and Destination Tags." https://xrpl.org/docs/concepts/transactions/source-and-destination-tags ↩
9. YimmiT Docs, "Deposit Crypto." https://docs.yimmit.com/wallets/deposit-crypto ↩
10. U.S. Federal Trade Commission, Consumer Advice, "Use Two-Factor Authentication To Protect Your Accounts." https://consumer.ftc.gov/articles/use-two-factor-authentication-protect-your-accounts ↩
11. YimmiT Docs, "Withdraw Crypto." https://docs.yimmit.com/wallets/withdraw-crypto ↩
12. Ethereum.org, "Block explorers." https://ethereum.org/developers/docs/data-and-analytics/block-explorers/ ↩