BitcoinMadeClear

What is a Bitcoin address?

A Bitcoin address is a destination for receiving a payment. You can share it with a sender; it is different from the private key or recovery words that approve spending.

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What does that mean for you?

A wallet can show the destination as text or as a QR code. The code is a way to carry the information, not a promise that the destination belongs to the person you intended.

An address is not a bank account number with a named account administrator behind it. Check the asset, network and destination before approving a payment.

What is a Bitcoin address?Receiving address: Give this to the sender. Private key: Approves spending; keep secret. Recovery words: Restore keys; keep secret.Receiving addressGive this to the senderPrivate keyApproves spending; keep secretRecovery wordsRestore keys; keep secret
Receiving address: Give this to the sender. Private key: Approves spending; keep secret. Recovery words: Restore keys; keep secret.

Can you picture an example?

Imagine a friend asks where to send bitcoin. You give a receiving address from the appropriate wallet. Your friend needs the destination, not your wallet password, private key or recovery words.

What should you remember?

An address can be public without granting permission to spend. Sharing it can still affect privacy because the payment history is public. This page explains the meaning, rather than the technical address formats.

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