The learning path
Sending crypto comes down to two checks: the address has to be exactly right, and the network has to match what the recipient expects. Send a small test first, check whether a memo or tag is required, and verify the transaction on a block explorer afterward.
The two things that decide whether this works
Sending crypto is simple in the way that a bank transfer is simple, with one difference that matters enormously: there is no reversal and no support line. Two details cause almost every loss, and both are checkable in seconds.
The address
A single wrong character sends the funds somewhere unreachable. Copy it from the source, never retype it, and check the middle rather than only the ends.
The network
The same address can exist on many chains. Sending USDC on Ethereum to an address expecting USDC on Polygon is the most common way people lose money.
Sending it, step by step
Get the receiving address from the recipient
They generate it in their own wallet or exchange account. Have them send it to you directly rather than reading it aloud. If you are sending to yourself, copy it from the receiving wallet rather than from an old message.
Confirm which network they expect
Ask explicitly. "USDC" is not enough, because USDC exists on a dozen chains and they are not interchangeable. The answer you need is "USDC on Base" or "USDC on Ethereum".
Check whether a memo or tag is required
Some networks, including XRP, Cosmos chains and Stellar, use one shared address for many customers and a memo field to say which one. Sending to an exchange without the memo usually means the deposit is not credited, and recovering it means a support ticket that may not succeed.
Send a small test first
Five or ten dollars. Wait for it to arrive and be confirmed by the recipient. On a cheap network this costs a fraction of a cent and it is the single most valuable habit on this page. Do it every time the address or the network is new to you.
Check the fee before confirming
Your wallet shows the network fee separately from the amount. On Ethereum during a busy hour this can be several dollars, so a ten dollar send is worth reconsidering. On Base, Solana or Polygon it is negligible.
Send the rest, then verify on a block explorer
Paste the transaction hash into the explorer for that chain. It will show confirmed or pending, the amount, and both addresses. That page is the receipt, and it is the same one the recipient can check.
What goes wrong, and whether it is recoverable
| What happened | Recoverable? |
|---|---|
| Sent on the wrong network to an exchange | Sometimes. Large exchanges can occasionally recover it for a fee. Open a ticket immediately and expect weeks. |
| Sent on the wrong network to a personal wallet | Often yes, if you control the receiving wallet. Add the other network in your wallet and the funds are usually visible on it. |
| Sent to a completely wrong address | No. If somebody controls that address the funds are theirs. If nobody does, they are gone permanently. |
| Forgot the memo or tag on an exchange deposit | Usually recoverable through support, sometimes for a fee. It is slow and it is not guaranteed. |
| Sent the wrong amount | Only if the recipient chooses to send it back. There is no mechanism to compel it. |
| Transaction stuck as pending | Yes. The fee was too low. Most wallets offer a speed up, which rebroadcasts with a higher fee. |
The address trick worth knowing about
Attackers send you a worthless transaction from an address whose first and last few characters match one you use regularly. Later, when you copy an address out of your transaction history rather than from the source, you copy theirs. This is called address poisoning and it works because almost everybody checks the ends of an address and not the middle.
Two habits defeat it entirely: copy addresses from where they were issued rather than from your own history, and save the ones you use often in your wallet's address book so you pick a name instead of a string.
What it costs
You pay the network, not the recipient and not your wallet. The fee depends on the chain and on how busy it is at that moment, and it has nothing to do with the amount you are sending. Moving ten dollars and ten thousand dollars costs the same.
That single fact is why a large transfer on Ethereum is fine and a small one is often not worth doing. If you are sending small amounts regularly, that is the argument for using a layer 2 or a cheap chain rather than for sending less often.
Common questions
What happens if I send to the wrong network?
If you control the receiving wallet, the funds are usually still there and you can see them by adding that network in your wallet. If you sent to an exchange, it depends on the exchange, and recovery is sometimes possible for a fee.
Can a crypto transaction be canceled?
Only before it is included in a block, by replacing it with a higher fee transaction from the same account. Once it is confirmed, nothing reverses it.
What is a memo or destination tag?
An identifier some networks use so an exchange can tell which customer a deposit belongs to, because thousands of customers share one address. Leaving it out on a network that requires it means the deposit is not credited automatically.
How long should a transfer take?
Seconds on Solana or a layer 2, a few minutes on Ethereum, up to an hour on Bitcoin for several confirmations. Exchanges add their own wait on top before crediting a deposit.
Is it safe to reuse the same receiving address?
It works fine and it costs you privacy, because anybody with that address can see everything it has ever received. Bitcoin wallets generate a fresh address each time for this reason.
Where to go next
Stuck on this one?
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