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{{Crypto Encyclopedia Article
| title = Address (Crypto)
| niche = crypto_encyclopedia
| wordcount = ~1500
| related = [[Wallet]], [[Private Key]], [[Public Key]], [[Transaction]], [[Blockchain]]
}}

= Address (Crypto) =

A '''cryptocurrency address''' (also called a '''blockchain address''' or '''wallet address''') is a unique alphanumeric string that functions as a destination identifier on a blockchain network — enabling users to send, receive, and store digital assets. Much like a bank account number or an email address, a crypto address tells the network exactly where funds should go. Unlike traditional banking identifiers, however, crypto addresses are generated through cryptographic processes and are not issued or controlled by any central authority.

== Overview ==

At its most fundamental level, a crypto address is a human-readable representation of a [[public key]]. Every blockchain account is built on a [[key pair|cryptographic key pair]]: a [[private key]] that grants the owner control over the account and signs outgoing transactions, and a [[public key]] that acts as the account's unique identifier on the network. Because raw public keys are extremely long binary numbers (typically 256 bits), the address serves as a compressed, user-friendly encoding of that public key — easier to read, copy, and share. [web:3]

All transactions recorded on a blockchain reference addresses as either a source (sender) or a destination (recipient). Because the ledger is public, anyone can look up an address and see its full transaction history, including incoming and outgoing balances. The address itself, however, reveals nothing about the real-world identity of its owner — this is the basis of [[pseudonymity]] in cryptocurrency. [web:11]

== How Addresses Are Generated ==

Address generation follows a deterministic cryptographic pipeline:

# A [[private key]] is generated — typically a random 256-bit number.
# The corresponding [[public key]] is computed using [[Elliptic Curve Cryptography]] (ECC), most commonly the secp256k1 curve used by [[Bitcoin]] and [[Ethereum]].
# The public key is passed through one or more [[hash function|cryptographic hash functions]] (e.g., SHA-256 followed by RIPEMD-160 in Bitcoin's case) to produce a shorter fixed-length digest.
# A [[checksum]] is appended to the hash to enable basic error detection.
# The result is encoded into a human-readable format — typically [[Base58Check]] for Bitcoin legacy addresses or [[Bech32]] for SegWit addresses.

This one-way process means that knowing an address does not reveal the private key or even the full public key, preserving the security of the account. [web:3][web:2]

== Address Structure and Format ==

Address formats vary significantly between blockchain networks. Key structural properties include:

* '''Length''': Bitcoin addresses are typically 26–35 characters; Ethereum addresses are always 42 characters (including the "0x" prefix). [web:1]
* '''Character set''': Most addresses use alphanumeric characters, often excluding visually ambiguous characters like "0" (zero) and "O" (capital letter O) to prevent user error.
* '''Prefix''': Many address types use a fixed prefix that immediately identifies the network and format (e.g., Bitcoin legacy addresses start with <code>1</code>, Ethereum addresses always start with <code>0x</code>). [web:5]
* '''Case sensitivity''': Ethereum addresses are case-insensitive at the protocol level, but [[EIP-55]] introduced a mixed-case checksum encoding as an error-detection mechanism. Bitcoin Bech32 addresses are fully lowercase.

== Types of Bitcoin Addresses ==

[[Bitcoin]] has evolved through several address formats, each with diffe

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