Where do bitcoins go

[GreatArkansas]

Hello guy

Something has been bordering me for a long time and it's a good thing i found about this forum to learn and understand somethings about bitcoin and cryptocurrency better.

My question is: where do bitcoins go when we send them to a wrong address? Probably the recipient address is non existing.

the simple answer is no where once you send money to a bitcoin even if its the wrong address it still goes there even when there is no actually access to the address. bitcoin platform does not have the ability to check address before sent or even when sent that why you have to make sure you double check every thing before pressing send

I'm curious, why was there no feature like this? So we can avoid sending Bitcoin to the wrong address, or do Bitcoin wallet providers not have a functionality to check the destination address first if they are wrong/valid address?

[Powerjumboo]

Hello guy

Something has been bordering me for a long time and it's a good thing i found about this forum to learn and understand somethings about bitcoin and cryptocurrency better.

My question is: where do bitcoins go when we send them to a wrong address? Probably the recipient address is non existing.

As you asked, I will answer your question if the address does not have an owner and if that address is correct, then if you send bitcoin to that address, then the bitcoin will go to that wallet but that bitcoin will not have an owner. That bitcoin without an owner can remain forever. For this, the address has to be checked repeatedly to avoid any problems. If it goes to the wrong address by mistake, then you have to give it up yourself, that bitcoin can never be recovered, that is why you have to check and send coins in advance repeatedly.

[Cricktor]

I'm curious, why was there no feature like this? So we can avoid sending Bitcoin to the wrong address, or do Bitcoin wallet providers not have a functionality to check the destination address first if they are wrong/valid address?

Any sane wallet can and should check at least that a public address as destination for a transaction is formally correct, but that only means the checksum is correct which is there to spot human typos. Btw, you're not supposed to type a public address symbol by symbol, usually it's highly recommended to copy/paste.

Always verify copy/pasted public addresses at the start, somewhere in the middle and at the end, I recommend to check at least 5-7 symbols at each spot (at the start omit the address type "markers" 1..., 3..., bc1q..., bc1p... from symbol check count).

But any wallet can't do more than to verify a public address doesn't have a typo in it. For public addresses with a spending history it's obvious that a private key exists and some entity controls it. For public addresses with no or only a receiving history you can't make any further assumption if some entity has control and possession of the correspondent private key; the public address could be "valid" or one for which spending sent coins is practically impossible, because either the public key is invalid/unknown and/or no private key is known.

Any sane wallet just does the most it can, but it commonly can't deduce if a destination public address which has never been used before is valid in the sense that some entity possesses and controls the private key to spend any funds sent to that public address.

[Sonia_123]

Hello guy

Something has been bordering me for a long time and it's a good thing i found about this forum to learn and understand somethings about bitcoin and cryptocurrency better.

My question is: where do bitcoins go when we send them to a wrong address? Probably the recipient address is non existing.

When you send your funds into a wrong address it is lost, only if the person that receives it, you can get across to him and his willing to release it because the funds is in his wallet if not gone, also if you send to a burnt address, dead wallet or non-existing wallet, not created and activated yet, then all you have to do is forget it because they are lost forever .

[Cookdata]

When you send your funds into a wrong address it is lost, only if the person that receives it, you can get across to him and his willing to release it because the funds is in his wallet if not gone, also if you send to a burnt address, dead wallet or non-existing wallet, not created and activated yet, then all you have to do is forget it because they are lost forever .

I don't understand how you intend to locate the peraon behind an address with characters because Bitcoin doesn't work as an account model system where there is a central system to locate the person. If you send Bitcoin to an addrss that you have previously sent Bitcoin before, you can approach them and ask politely to help send back
If it's an address that is connected to exchanges hot wallet like Binance, Kucoin and others, you may contact them if it involves a large amount of Bitcoin and if they are willing to help.

To avoid situations of such, before you send Bitcoin to that address, make sure to double check receiving wallet to avoid things like this. Avoid checking only prefix of an address, a lot of scammers has clone prefix and suffix of an address to replace it with real address.
Allow your transaction to be preview before you broadcast that transaction, this is why I like Electrum wallet, it's simple in design and let you do this with their simple GUI interface.

[Sticky Bomb]

One should try as much as possible to always verify the wallet address manually by looking at the wallet two or three times before sending out Bitcoin because Bitcoin transactions have no refund.

Only looking at the wallet two or three times is never enough, the person should try to place the wallet from which the address is copied from beside that which the address is copied to and ensure they go through it character by character and confirm its validity before initiating the transaction. I go through this process when sending to a new address. When sending from an exchange it is easier for me to just visit the history of transactions if it is a repeated transaction and select the "withdraw again" option as is applicable on Binance. I don't know if such a feature is applicable with non-custodial wallets?

[SeriouslyGiveaway]

Only looking at the wallet two or three times is never enough, the person should try to place the wallet from which the address is copied from beside that which the address is copied to and ensure they go through it character by character and confirm its validity before initiating the transaction. I go through this process when sending to a new address. When sending from an exchange it is easier for me to just visit the history of transactions if it is a repeated transaction and select the "withdraw again" option as is applicable on Binance. I don't know if such a feature is applicable with non-custodial wallets?

Being careful with practice is better than being careless.

Checking one, two, three times is better practice than don't make any checking at all, but it's not enough. Your device security, account security and safety of fund inside starts with how you keep your devices clean from viruses, malwares, and other things that can compromise your devices and steal your accounts as well as money.

If you plan to make a big transaction, make a small transaction to test (with checking too) for making sure that your device is not compromised. After that small test transaction was done well, you can make a second transaction to finish your business deal or individual purposes.

Anyway for checking practice, let's check.
How to lose your Bitcoins with CTRL-C CTRL-V

[Razmirraz]

One should try as much as possible to always verify the wallet address manually by looking at the wallet two or three times before sending out Bitcoin because Bitcoin transactions have no refund.

Only looking at the wallet two or three times is never enough, the person should try to place the wallet from which the address is copied from beside that which the address is copied to and ensure they go through it character by character and confirm its validity before initiating the transaction. I go through this process when sending to a new address. When sending from an exchange it is easier for me to just visit the history of transactions if it is a repeated transaction and select the "withdraw again" option as is applicable on Binance. I don't know if such a feature is applicable with non-custodial wallets?

It is very important to check the wallet address several times before making a transaction, although the method you described seems a bit time consuming, but it is very effective to avoid errors. Usually I just take the wallet address from the previous transaction (if I want to send bitcoins to an Exchange) and then copy/paste it before sending it. I use this method very often because in my opinion and based on experience the error rate is very small. I also don't discount the importance of manually checking wallet addresses, especially if you're making large transactions.
The “withdraw again” feature is usually available on some exchanges, including Binance, this feature can help reduce the risk of errors but for non-custodial wallets, this feature may not always be available.

[HyperCodexV]

Hello guy

Something has been bordering me for a long time and it's a good thing i found about this forum to learn and understand somethings about bitcoin and cryptocurrency better.

My question is: where do bitcoins go when we send them to a wrong address? Probably the recipient address is non existing.

Bitcoin addresses are like an insanely huge set of lockers. Such that each locker can only be opened with the correct and appropriate key which is the private key in the case. So the chance that someone can randomly create the exact same key as yours in the future will be such a tiny possibilities and if I am to be blunt I will basically say it is impossible to begin with but the internet evolves by the day so I won’t rule it out entirely but the chances are very tiny.

And you can obviously send Bitcoin to an address that nobody can open. If no one has the right key for that particular address, then the coins will just stay there forever on the blockchain.

[tbct_mt2]

Bitcoin addresses are like an insanely huge set of lockers. Such that each locker can only be opened with the correct and appropriate key which is the private key in the case. So the chance that someone can randomly create the exact same key as yours in the future will be such a tiny possibilities and if I am to be blunt I will basically say it is impossible to begin with but the internet evolves by the day so I won’t rule it out entirely but the chances are very tiny.

With huge available Bitcoin private keys, finding one Bitcoin private key is like finding a sand in the desert or an atom in the universe. The condition for your practice is you must use a good wallet software for generating your Bitcoin private key. Remember that even the wallet software is good, the private key creation must be done by yourself with a vital condition, do it offline.

Bitcoin: keys and addresses.

The size of Bitcoin’s private key space (2²⁵⁶) is an unfathomably large number. It is approximately 10⁷⁷ in decimal. For comparison, the visible universe is estimated to contain 1080 atoms.

Bitcoin private keys.

The range of 256-bit numbers (and therefore the number of possible private keys) is unfathomably large. Just as it's impossible for the human mind to visualize the true scale of the universe, it's impossible for the human mind to comprehend the sheer size of 256-bit numbers.

And you can obviously send Bitcoin to an address that nobody can open. If no one has the right key for that particular address, then the coins will just stay there forever on the blockchain.

You can throw away your bitcoin like burning it this way.

[Bobrox]

Bitcoin addresses are like an insanely huge set of lockers. Such that each locker can only be opened with the correct and appropriate key which is the private key in the case. So the chance that someone can randomly create the exact same key as yours in the future will be such a tiny possibilities and if I am to be blunt I will basically say it is impossible to begin with but the internet evolves by the day so I won’t rule it out entirely but the chances are very tiny.

And you can obviously send Bitcoin to an address that nobody can open. If no one has the right key for that particular address, then the coins will just stay there forever on the blockchain.

I don't think so, looks difficult for someone create the key based on the particular address how several time has board guide us for customize the address on the firstly word regarding what our needed but can't fully request all the same address. If sending to wrong address and its not active yet regarding has several words wrong I believe can't open yet forever and someone else never has chance to make key customize with the similar address.
Indirectly, when sending bitcoin to wrong address we have make burn of bitcoin supply because can't get back yet or someone else want to make key never has result will get that address.

[AYOBA]

Hello guy

Something has been bordering me for a long time and it's a good thing i found about this forum to learn and understand somethings about bitcoin and cryptocurrency better.

My question is: where do bitcoins go when we send them to a wrong address? Probably the recipient address is non existing.

When it comes to Bitcoin transactions the best thing to do is by confirming the address well before send it. Bitcoin is transactions is not like the banker transactions that if we may mistake we can direct ourselves to the bank, once you have make a mistake by Bitcoin transactions there’s no any solution it has gone forever; as you don’t have anyone to meet to refund the it it’s impossible.

So in this case it’s very important for us to make sure that we’ve reconfirming the address we’re about to send bitcoin too, to avoid send it to a wrong address.

[SquirrelJulietGarden]

When it comes to Bitcoin transactions the best thing to do is by confirming the address well before send it. Bitcoin is transactions is not like the banker transactions that if we may mistake we can direct ourselves to the bank, once you have make a mistake by Bitcoin transactions there’s no any solution it has gone forever; as you don’t have anyone to meet to refund the it it’s impossible.

So in this case it’s very important for us to make sure that we’ve reconfirming the address we’re about to send bitcoin too, to avoid send it to a wrong address.

You can confirm the address by two steps

Asking it from the receiver to confirm it is his / her address, and checking several times before making your transaction to him/ her.
Testing firstly with a small transaction to that address, then you can wait for confirmation from him/ her that he /she actually received it.
Then you can label the address in your wallet, and make a second transaction with a transaction value you want.

It's the same with a transaction for yourself, from one to another address of yours.

It is same with making your wallet backup and testing it.

How should you go about testing your backup?

3. Deposit a small amount of funds into the wallet, like $10 or $20 worth.

[GeorgeJohn]

My question is: where do bitcoins go when we send them to a wrong address? Probably the recipient address is non existing.

Actually your question has been answered correctly from  nc50lc....But also if you send your bitcoin to wrong, it will lost, especially an address that doesn't exist...but you can send bitcoin to wrong address but the address exist...it will relax on the address, and you can't recover it...That is to let us know that we have to be careful because send bitcoin to an address...

[Cookdata]

When it comes to Bitcoin transactions the best thing to do is by confirming the address well before send it. Bitcoin is transactions is not like the banker transactions that if we may mistake we can direct ourselves to the bank, once you have make a mistake by Bitcoin transactions there’s no any solution it has gone forever; as you don’t have anyone to meet to refund the it it’s impossible.

So in this case it’s very important for us to make sure that we’ve reconfirming the address we’re about to send bitcoin too, to avoid send it to a wrong address.

Transaction mismatch isn't easy to resolved in banks these days. If you make transaction to a bank as an inter bank transaction, they can help you out but it will have to involved you going to court to fill forms like affidavit and court others for the transactions to be track and the destination account be lock, the bank doest have the right to block any account else they may face legal battles if the complainer doesn't follow this system, only then the the money can be reverse, that is if the money has not been moved to another account and if the court fillings were genuine.

If it's intra bank transaction, you will spend all your time going between two banks trying to make it work. If the two banks happen to have two useless manager, I'm afraid you will have to let go of that momeh, this is coming from my experience. I'm not sure if this is easy to do from other countries in their banking system. Either you are using bitcoin or non Bitcoin, avoid mistakes when running transactions, don't send your hard earned money to another person for free.

[Pi-network314159]

Hello guy

Something has been bordering me for a long time and it's a good thing i found about this forum to learn and understand somethings about bitcoin and cryptocurrency better.

My question is: where do bitcoins go when we send them to a wrong address? Probably the recipient address is non existing.

This threads reminds me of my TWT token ( a token for Trust wallet) that I lost when the coin was newly launched.
What lead to the lost; I was supposed to send the token to the trust wallet instead, but went and sent it to a wallet called myeth wallet that I was using then to store my cryptos, I didn't recover that token uptil today, even it didn't reflect on that particular wallet, this is exactly what you can experience or face Op when you send out coin to a wrong wallet too, it's gone forever.

I equally shear thesame expirience with you too. There was a time I did same mistake on Tron instead of an intended one. I lost the coin forever and till today it has not been recoverd, meaning that it has Lost forever and has increased the value of the other of it's kind. Because as it loses, it creat scarcity and this will burn the amount or number of any coin that has lost.

[SilverCryptoBullet]

Transaction mismatch isn't easy to resolved in banks these days. If you make transaction to a bank as an inter bank transaction, they can help you out but it will have to involved you going to court to fill forms like affidavit and court others for the transactions to be track and the destination account be lock, the bank doest have the right to block any account else they may face legal battles if the complainer doesn't follow this system, only then the the money can be reverse, that is if the money has not been moved to another account and if the court fillings were genuine.

If it's intra bank transaction, you will spend all your time going between two banks trying to make it work. If the two banks happen to have two useless manager, I'm afraid you will have to let go of that momeh, this is coming from my experience. I'm not sure if this is easy to do from other countries in their banking system. Either you are using bitcoin or non Bitcoin, avoid mistakes when running transactions, don't send your hard earned money to another person for free.

Though transfers in a same bank or cross banks can be refunded if you mistakenly sent your money in bank transfers, it surely takes a lot of time for getting your money back. Banks on their sides can not easily accept your request and take money out of another user account without enough evidence. Regarding to evidence, you will have to submit your request, evidence to the bank and police as well for their support.

Support from banks and police agency takes time and sometimes it's just too late as the receiver of your mistakenly transfer money already used that money and he has empty bank account so that he will not be able to refund you. That if is your case, will be painful, and even that man goes to jail, you won't get your money back.

So be always careful when processing either a bank transfer or a cryptocurrency transaction, double checking information from bank receiver details to cryptocurrency receiving address before finalizing either a bank transfer or a cryptocurrency transaction.