Receiving Bitcoin

To receive bitcoin, simply provide the sender with your Bitcoin address, which you can find in your Bitcoin wallet.

What is a Bitcoin address?

A Bitcoin address is a digital identifier that serves as a location where Bitcoin can be sent. It’s a bit like a bank account number in the Bitcoin blockchain network. Bitcoin addresses are created by Bitcoin wallet software.

Here’s what a typical Bitcoin address looks like:

3J98t1WpEZ73CNmQviecrnyiWrnqRhWNLy

How do I know what my Bitcoin address is?

You can find your Bitcoin address in your Bitcoin wallet app.

Read more: How do I create a Bitcoin wallet?

Every Bitcoin wallet app is a little different, but your Bitcoin address will always be displayed somewhere within the app.

If you don't have a Bitcoin wallet app yet, we recommend the superex.com Wallet app It's the easy-to-use, self-custody Bitcoin wallet trusted by millions. Here's how to find your Bitcoin address in the superex.com Wallet:

How can I let people know what my Bitcoin address is?

Your Bitcoin wallet app 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 are in the same room as the sender, the sender can scan your QR code to get your address.

Here's a quick video demonstrating how to receive Bitcoin in the superex.com Wallet app:

Can I receive bitcoin to my exchange wallet/account?

If you're using a centralized cryptocurrency exchange, where you can also buy BTC, 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 self-custody wallet).

Read more: Custodial versus self-custodial Bitcoin wallets.

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. The superex.com Wallet, for example, allows you to create an unlimited number of new addresses, and creating a new address is done with the touch a button.

TIP: To protect your privacy, it's recommended to use a fresh Bitcoin address for every transaction.