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CHECKLIST · CRYPTO TRANSFER

Crypto transfer: check the network before sending

Do you see “Ethereum” on one side and “Base” on the other? Stop before sending, even if the addresses look alike. This checklist organises your review; it does not validate an actual address or account.

WhyTheBlockchain·Documentation checked: 17 September 2026
Beginner

Useful first: Wallet address, private key and recovery phrase explained

THE SHORT ANSWER

Before a transfer, compare what you send with what the recipient accepts: asset, network, address and memo if required. Learn the terms with documented real examples, work through four cases, then use the checklist for your own checks.

01 · UNDERSTAND WITH AN EXAMPLE

Read the recipient’s instructions, understand the fields and identify when a transfer should stop.

  • Distinguish the crypto asset from its network.
  • Understand addresses, memos and fees.
  • Practise before filling in your own checklist.

The words you need, in plain language

Asset
What you send: for example ETH, USDC or XRP. The same ticker does not always identify the correct token version.
Network
The system on which the transfer is recorded, such as Ethereum or Base. Think of a delivery service: the recipient must accept the one you use.
Address and memo / tag
The address says where to send. Some services also require a number or text to identify the customer account, like an apartment number. The field is not universally required.
Network fee / gas
The processing cost. For a standard Ethereum transfer from your own wallet, you need ETH to pay it, even when sending USDC. Some services can handle fees differently.

Follow the reasoning

  1. Start with the receiving side

    Open the receiving service’s deposit page yourself. Read the asset, network and special instructions together. Requirements can change.

  2. Compare with the sending screen

    Find the exact accepted combination. Comparing only “USDC” or only the first address characters is not enough.

  3. Review before confirming anything

    Full address, required tag, amount, minimums and fees: confirm each item. A small test must also meet minimums; wait for it to be credited if you make one.

Remember: Matching asset and network are required in our direct-transfer examples, but do not verify the address, recipient or service requirements for you.

02 · PRACTISE, THEN UNDERSTAND THE ANSWER

4 situations to work through

Each answer has an explanation. Use a hint if you need one; there is no timer.

Situations answered0 / 4

MADE-UP SITUATION · NO REAL ACTION

USDC on both sides, but different networks

USDC really exists on Ethereum and Base. In this made-up scenario, the receiving service accepts your deposit only on Base. The sending screen is still set to Ethereum.

Sending screen — fictional
Asset
USDC
Selected network
Ethereum
Receiving instructions — fictional
Accepted asset
USDC
Accepted network
Base only
I need a hint

Read the asset and network together. Distinct networks do not become the same because a token has the same name.

What should happen before a direct transfer?
Read all explanations at my own pace

USDC on both sides, but different networks

USDC really exists on Ethereum and Base. In this made-up scenario, the receiving service accepts your deposit only on Base. The sending screen is still set to Ethereum.

Reasoning: Ethereum and Base are different networks. This exercise requires Base at the destination, so Ethereum is unsuitable for this direct transfer. USDC genuinely existing on both does not prove that a service accepts deposits on both.

Check asset and network together on both screens.

An XRP address is not always enough

Kraken requires a destination tag to credit XRP deposits to the correct account. In this scenario, you copied the address from your deposit screen but left the tag field empty.

Reasoning: The tag is extra information in addition to the address. It is required for this XRP deposit at Kraken. Another recipient can have different requirements: never reuse an example tag or a tag belonging to another account.

Never guess a memo or tag requested by the recipient.

You have USDC but no ETH

You use a standard Ethereum wallet to send your own USDC on Ethereum. No service is paying the fees. In this example your balance is 30 USDC and 0 ETH.

Reasoning: The token balance and the balance needed for fees are different things. On Ethereum, this standard transfer requires ETH for gas. The exercise does not give a universal amount: it depends on the operation and the displayed estimate.

Identify how fees are paid in the actual flow you use.

A small test… below the minimum

The token and network names match. In this final fictional situation, the recipient displays a minimum deposit of 10 USDC. You are considering a 1 USDC test.

Reasoning: Under this exercise’s invented conditions, a 1 USDC test is too small. Check the net creditable amount and the service’s current rules. A test does not replace other checks, and a sent transaction is not necessarily credited to the receiving account yet.

A test must also meet the recipient’s requirements.

03 · PREPARE YOUR OWN CHECKLIST

Two screens. The same network.

Read the network names on the sending and receiving screens.

Network unknown: confirm it with the destination before proceeding. This list is not a directory of supported deposits.

Your review0 / 7
Checks you have personally made
Where to check, with an example

Start with the recipient’s own deposit page. “USDC on Base” and “USDC on Ethereum” are different combinations. Check the token version too; a matching name alone is not enough.

Where to check, with an example

Open the intended service yourself or confirm the address directly with the intended recipient through a trusted channel. Compare every character after pasting. Do not copy an address just because it appears in your transaction history.

Where to check, with an example

Read the deposit instructions. For example, Kraken requires a destination tag for its XRP deposits. If required, copy your own exact tag; do not invent one. If no tag is required, confirm that in the instructions.

Where to check, with an example

A deposit page may specify a minimum and a temporary suspension. In a made-up example with a 10 USDC minimum, a 1 USDC test is too small. Check what amount must actually arrive after fees.

Where to check, with an example

Review the sender’s final cost summary. For a standard Ethereum send from your own wallet, ETH pays the network fee even if you are sending USDC. A service may handle fees differently; follow its instructions.

Where to check, with an example

A test can help check the route, but it has costs and must meet minimums. If you make one, wait until the recipient’s account is credited. A “sent” label alone does not establish that.

Where to check, with an example

Recheck asset, network, full address, required tag, amount and fees together. These boxes only record your own review; they do not inspect an address or authorise a transfer. Stop whenever something is unclear.

No address requested. Nothing saved or sent by this checklist. Changing a network resets the checks.

OPTIONAL · GO FURTHER · INTERMEDIATE

Compare both screens, not just the addresses

First open the receiving service’s deposit page. Note the asset and network offered together. Then look for that same combination on the withdrawal screen. A token’s trading name is not enough: a version moved through a bridge between networks may differ from the accepted asset.

Fictional example: a deposit accepts USDC on Base only. Selecting USDC on Ethereum for withdrawal does not meet that instruction, even if the address is identical. Changing a wallet’s displayed network does not move assets between chains.

Small fields that make a big difference

Some destinations share an address between customers and use a memo or tag to allocate deposits. Whether it is needed depends on the asset and recipient. Do not assume a field is optional just because the sending screen lets you leave it empty.

  • Check the entire address against a trusted source, not an unexpected transaction in your history.
  • Read deposit and withdrawal minimums, fees and network availability.
  • If you make a small test, keep it above the deposit minimum and wait for it to be credited.
  • A received test does not replace checking the next transfer’s address and conditions.

Already sent, but nothing has arrived?

Record the transaction hash, actual network used and status in that network’s explorer. “Confirmed” on-chain and “credited” by a platform are separate stages. Provide those details to official support if the deposit is not allocated.

Recovery from a wrong-network transfer depends on key control, the network and the recipient’s capabilities. It may be impossible; paying a stranger cannot guarantee it. Never provide a recovery phrase to have a deposit investigated.

The questions that remain

Can the checklist detect a fraudulent address?

No. No address is requested and no external service is queried. The boxes record your own checks, not an automated analysis.

Can I choose the cheapest network?

Only among networks the destination accepts for that asset and operation. A lower fee on an incompatible network does not make it compatible.

Sources and further reading

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