• Published on Nov 29, 22
• By Dave Camp

How do I know what my Bitcoin address is?

You can find out your Bitcoin address by opening your Bitcoin wallet. Every Bitcoin wallet is a little different, but your Bitcoin address will always be displayed somewhere within the wallet. Here's an example of a Bitcoin address: 3FZbgi29cpjq2GjdwV8eyHuJJnkLtktZc5 Your Bitcoin wallet will allow you to copy your Bitcoin address to your clipboard. Then, you just need to provide the sender with that address via email, messaging app, and so on. Most wallets also provide you with a QR-code version of your Bitcoin address. If you're in the same room as the sender, the sender can scan your QR code to get your address. If you're using a centralized cryptocurrency exchange the process is the same as above (ie. find your Bitcoin address and provide it to the sender). When you receive Bitcoin to a centralized exchange, however, you'll have to wait for the exchange to acknowledge it has received the bitcoin and reflect the receipt in your account. This may take quite a bit longer (up to several hours) than if you receive your bitcoin to a wallet you control (ie. a non-custodial wallet).

Is it safe to give out my Bitcoin address?

You can safely give out your Bitcoin address to friends, family, and acquaintances. No one can steal your bitcoin using just your Bitcoin address. They'd need both your address and the private key to it. However, you should know that, since the Bitcoin network is publicly viewable, whoever knows your Bitcoin address can easily find out exactly how much Bitcoin you have at that address by simply pasting the address into a Bitcoin block explorer like this one. They can also see every transaction you've ever made using that address. If you don't want people to see this information, you'll need to use a fresh Bitcoin address. Luckily, that's easy to do.