# Bitcoin addresses

A Bitcoin address is a short code that tells a sender how to lock coins to you. It is not an account and holds no balance by itself. Learn how it works.

Canonical page: https://mybitcoinexplorer.com/learn/bitcoin-addresses
Topic: Keys and addresses
Published: 2026-10-29
Updated: 2026-10-30


## Instructions, not an account
An address tells a sender's wallet how to write the [output](https://mybitcoinexplorer.com/learn/transaction-outputs) locking script, usually "only someone with the key matching this hash can spend it". Wallets encode that as text with a checksum so typos are caught.

> Diagram: An address is a readable form of an output's lock — Your public key → (hash)Key hash → (encode + checksum)*Address: bc1q… → (sender's wallet)Output lock: in the transaction

## Common formats
| Starts with | Type | Lesson |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Legacy pay-to-public-key-hash | [Pay to public key hash (P2PKH)](https://mybitcoinexplorer.com/learn/p2pkh) |
| 3 | Pay-to-script-hash | [Pay to script hash (P2SH)](https://mybitcoinexplorer.com/learn/p2sh) |
| bc1q | Native SegWit | [Segregated Witness (SegWit)](https://mybitcoinexplorer.com/learn/segwit) |
| bc1p | Taproot | [Taproot](https://mybitcoinexplorer.com/learn/taproot) |

See [Bitcoin address types compared](https://mybitcoinexplorer.com/learn/address-types) for the full comparison.

## Things an address is not
- **Not a person.** Nothing on-chain says who controls it.
- **Not a whole wallet.** A wallet usually has many addresses.
- **Not proof of ownership** or balance just because it's valid.

### Worked example: Validate an address
Our [address inspector](/tools/address-inspector) checks format and checksum and shows the locking script it encodes. A valid address can still be one nobody controls.


> Use a new address for each payment you receive. See [Address reuse and privacy](https://mybitcoinexplorer.com/learn/address-reuse-and-privacy).


## Before you send
1. Copy the address with the copy button, never by retyping.
1. Check the first and last 4 to 6 characters after pasting.
1. For large amounts, send a small test first.
1. Make sure the network is Bitcoin mainnet, not a token on another chain.

## Look up an address
Paste any address into MyBitcoinExplorer's [search](/explorer) to validate its format and checksum and see its type, or check it with our [address inspector](/tools/address-inspector).


## Key takeaways

- An address encodes an output's locking conditions, usually a key hash.
- Addresses include a checksum to catch typos.
- One wallet can have many addresses; reuse harms privacy.

## Common questions

### Can I send to any address format?

Modern wallets can send to all formats. Some very old wallets can't send to bc1 addresses.

### Do addresses expire?

No. An address can receive at any time, though using fresh ones is better for privacy.

### Can I reuse my Bitcoin address?

You can, but a new address for each payment keeps your history more private.

### What happens if I send to a wrong address?

If the address is valid but not yours, the coins go to whoever controls it and can't be reversed. Invalid addresses are rejected by the checksum.

## Related lessons

- [Bitcoin address types compared](https://mybitcoinexplorer.com/learn/address-types)
- [Public keys](https://mybitcoinexplorer.com/learn/public-keys)
- [Address reuse and privacy](https://mybitcoinexplorer.com/learn/address-reuse-and-privacy)
- [Transaction outputs](https://mybitcoinexplorer.com/learn/transaction-outputs)