Check both the asset and network before sending. The address tells you where funds should arrive, while the network tells you which blockchain should receive them. A correct-looking address can still be wrong for your destination, so confirm both details before approving a swap.
What Does the Destination Address Tell You?
The destination address is the account or wallet address that should receive the swapped asset. A network is the blockchain that records the transfer, such as Bitcoin or Ethereum. You need the right address for the right network.
Some networks use similar address formats. Ethereum and other networks that use the Ethereum Virtual Machine, or EVM, can share the same address shape. But a matching shape does not prove that the asset will arrive where you expect. Ethereum’s ERC-3770 proposal describes why an address can be ambiguous across chains.
Plan for both the destination and the cost before you start. For example, how thor swap fees compare is useful when you are weighing routes, while this check helps make sure the result has somewhere usable to arrive.
How Do You Check the Destination?
Use this order: choose the asset you want to receive, choose its network, then copy the matching address from your own wallet. A wallet is an app or device that holds the keys used to control your crypto. If it shows a network choice, select the same network you chose for receiving.
Compare the first and last few characters after pasting the address, and check the full address if your wallet allows it. Then check the network name again. For Bitcoin, an address usually looks different from an Ethereum-style address, but do not rely on appearance alone.
For a thor swap, think of the destination address as the delivery point: the swap can only send the result to the address and chain you specify. thorswap.us lets you move and swap assets between blockchains in one flow.
A common mistake is pasting an Ethereum address while intending to receive the asset on another network. The characters may look right, but the destination chain can still be wrong. Fix it by reopening your receiving wallet, selecting the intended network, and copying its address again before confirming.
What If the Address or Network Is Wrong?
If you have not approved the swap, stop and correct the destination first. If the transaction has already been sent, find its transaction ID, a public reference code, and look it up on the relevant blockchain explorer. Ethereum’s block explorer, for example, can show the receiving address and whether the transaction was recorded.
A recorded transfer usually cannot be reversed by the sender. If the address belongs to a wallet you control on another EVM network, you may be able to view the funds there by switching networks. That does not work in every case, especially if the destination is a service address or a contract that cannot handle the asset.
I would always check the network and address before confirming, even when the address looks familiar. Bitcoin.org also advises checking the entire receiving address because crypto transfers are difficult to undo.
- Choose the asset and destination network first.
- Copy the address from a wallet set to that network.
- Check the address and network again before approving.
- If sent already, look up the transaction ID on that chain’s explorer.