If i send my bitcoins to a wrong address, what happens?

[aeternus]

Hi!
As the title says, what happens if i get an address wrong? Do the coins get lost?
If that's what happens, why not change the code in Bitcoin, so that if the bitcoin network cant detect that address, returns the bitcoins to you?

I suggest to you that you read more about bitcoin, the devs are never going to allow that to happen, the blockchain is immutable, once you make a transaction and it is confirmed by the miners it is there forever, the only thing you can do is to try to find the person that has that address and ask him if he can send the money back.

[LyQaN]

sry to say buddy but all of your bitcoin are lost,and if you find someone who has got bitcoin from you address and can ask for same,if he accepts and ready to give you back you are lucky and good to go,otherwise there is no way to retreat them back.

[hujanderas]

I'm sure they do not know the direction in that case. the network does not know about a non-existent address, so there's no way to tell you that the address is invalid. Addresses can be made offline and can still earn coins.

[seriin]

If you send your bitcoins to a wrong address then, it's simply that you will lose your coins and someone that you didn't know may have it. So it's better if you will be carefu with your bitcoin address.

[djablom1]

I think the bitcoins will go to the address which you filled in i believe you will lose all your coins and the address owner will get them and if they are a kind person they will return them but now the price is at 11k i do not think anyone would return free bitcoins.

[bitkanu]

While what is stated above is true... there are some other points here.

It is hard to have a typo in an address (from what I read somewhere).  If you send to an invalid address, the transaction just fails.

If you mix up your clipboard and send to the wrong, yet valid, address... then you have no recourse as there is no way to get the coins back unless a person holding the private key to that address sends them back to you.

I once overpaid someone using mybitcion... and they were kind enough to give me the extra, so if you can find out who the coins went to, there is a chance.

So if im reading this correctly, there is possibility that the error send to address is not in use yet. Does that it at some point someone might be assigned that address and find some free random bitcoin waiting for them like a nice Christmas gift lol?

That's the answer maybe, there's so many unused address and it's just whom got the luck to get that free "accidental bitcoin". It'll just sitting there until someone have the access to the privatekey, maybe generating it without any intention to find a bitcoin, but it's kinda hard, or really have a low chance since the address of bitcoin really so many.

[btcprospecter]

Unfortunately those bitcoins will go to the address you sent them too and there is no way to get them back unless the person you sent it to is very honest and sends them back however in this world I don't think many people like that exist.

[gambitcoin53]

Bitcoin address is made to safely keep the owner's info, unless you want to expose the big holders, lol that is why when you send bitcoin wrongly, there is no way for you to check whether the address is correct or not as much as you cant have a refund in case of wrong sent. Just be careful when you send.

[duongdaiduong]

Of course if you send the wrong address then your money will disappear because the blockchain technology does not allow you to refund BTC . I think you should recognize this lesson and soon draw lots of experience when participating in cryptocurrency

[merlyn22]

Hi!
As the title says, what happens if i get an address wrong? Do the coins get lost?
If that's what happens, why not change the code in Bitcoin, so that if the bitcoin network cant detect that address, returns the bitcoins to you?

sad to say in that case only you are liable on mistakes once it done you can never get back your bitcoins. better double check it always before confirming any transactions...

[Dexion]

just as you lose money on the road, it will be hard to come back again, and you will definitely lose your bitcoin. What will happen ?
bitcoin you lost, especially if the value is large, and will live a day full of remorse.

[Qartersa]

Sadly I cannot think of any remedy for that. All I know is when you mistakenly send your Bitcoins to a wrong address, you have no other recourse UNLESS you get to know the IP address of the wrong recipient. It would be very hard judging on the presence of Bitcoins in the market nowadays. Hence, it is true when they say prevention is better that cure. You have whence be very cautious in sending Bitcoins online for chances are you never get to have those back. It will then be an expensive lesson to learn.

[markdario112616]

That would be an epic way to start a day. The recipient would be so happy if it happens and a sad a for you. There's no way you can retrieve that unless you knew that person. To avoid losing money make sure that the address you are encoding is correct. Such error can cost you fortune. Just be careful in every transaction you'll make.

[JTPhotography]

I once sent a small amount of BTC to my BCH address instead of my BTC address in an exchange, the transaction was successful and my coin was gone. I never could get an answer as to whether they were lost in space or if they went to someone else’s BTC wallet. The exchange said they could possibly help but the recovery fee was more than the amount I sent. Turned out to be a blessing as I am super careful now.

[Dudeperfect]

It's likely to get a jackpot to any random wallet holder if the address is valid. There is no point in making any change in the network infrastructure to manipulate it in such way to revert the coins. However, if you are sending coins to any exchange or website and sending the wrong amount then you can contact the website and ask them to alter the deposit amount but there is no such provision in case of the wrong address. There is an interesting story in this regard, 111 BTC AS FEES (don't do raw tx's when you're tired).

[tamsak21]

The reciever will be the luckiest person in the world. Free bitcoin for him and a loss for you. But dont do that cause your wasting your money.

[erickkyut]

That would be one of your most regrettable mistakes. Accidentally sending Bitcoin to a wring address is irreversible. If you sent your Bitcoin to a wrong Bitcoin address, the recepient will be surprise and happy especially if the amount was very high. If you sent your Bitcoin to other address which is not Bitcoin's, I don't know where in the universe your Bitcoin will go so be careful evertime you transact. Make sure that you are putting the right address.  Always double check it.

[paolo099]

as soon as you confirm the transaction is gone and you will probably make the day of the receiver; you might be able to find the owner of the address but that's it, if he's an honest person he might send it back because he recognized the mistake but i wouldn't hold my breath on it, there are a lot of honest persons around but when it's down to BTC and the current market place it's very hard.

[mkcjeewantha]

hi,
if that wrong BTC address is an existing address that person is going to receive free BTC and then yeah, you will lose your BTC.    

[bxbxy]

If you send the wrong bitcoins to the wrong address. well the person who owns that address will get the bitcoins and you will lose your bitcoins.