A Cardano receive address in Yoroi, Eternl or Lace starts with addr1 and is about 100 characters long. Wallets show a new addr1 address after each one is used, but they all belong to the same wallet and share one stake key โ so the balance, staking delegation and rewards stay together. The separate stake1 address you may see is your reward account, not an address to receive payments to.
Why the address is so long
A standard Shelley-era Cardano address โ a base address โ packs two credentials into one string: a payment key hash that controls spending and a stake key hash that controls delegation. Bech32 encoding with the addr prefix, the network tag and a checksum make it about 103 characters. Do not shorten or retype it; copy and paste, then compare the beginning and end. Testnet addresses start with addr_test1 โ never use them for real ADA.
| Format | Looks like | What it is | Use it to receive? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Base address | addr1qโฆ (~103 chars) | payment key + stake key | ('Yes โ the normal choice', 'green') |
| Enterprise address | addr1vโฆ (~58 chars) | payment key only, no staking | ('Yes, but funds are not staked', 'amber') |
| Stake / reward address | stake1uโฆ | reward account of the stake key | ('No โ not for payments', 'red') |
| Byron legacy | Ae2โฆ or DdzFFโฆ | pre-2020 format | ('Works, but no staking', 'amber') |
| ADA Handle | $name | readable alias resolved by wallets | Only if the sender's wallet resolves it |
Getting a receive address
- Yoroi: open the wallet and tap Receive. The current unused address is shown with a QR code; previous addresses are listed below with a used or unused mark.
- Eternl: open Receive; Eternl lists the addresses of the account and lets you add a label or show more addresses.
- Copy the address. Any of the wallet's addr1 addresses will work; a fresh one is better for privacy because a Cardano address is visible on-chain with its full history.
- If the wallet is on a Ledger or Trezor, confirm the address on the device screen when the wallet offers verification.
The stake key ties it together
All base addresses generated by one account carry the same stake key. Delegating once to a stake pool delegates the ADA on all of them, and rewards accumulate on the stake1 reward address, from where the wallet lets you withdraw them to a normal address. That is why a block explorer search for your stake1 address shows the total balance of the account, while a search for one addr1 address shows only what sits there. Cardano staking has no lock-up: delegated ADA can be spent at any time.
Min-ADA: why tokens need ADA alongside
Cardano stores balances as unspent transaction outputs (UTxOs). Every output must carry a minimum amount of ADA that depends on its size: roughly 1 ADA for an ADA-only output and more โ commonly 1.2 to 1.5 ADA โ for an output that also holds native tokens, because the token policy IDs and names make it bigger. The protocol parameter is 4,310 lovelace per byte. Wallets add this ADA automatically when you send tokens; it travels with the tokens to the recipient. The Cardano min-ADA calculator estimates the figure for your number of tokens.
Fees and confirmations
A simple ADA transfer costs about 0.17 ADA: a fixed 0.155381 ADA plus 44 lovelace per byte of transaction. Blocks are produced about every 20 seconds on average; the swap provider waits for 15 confirmations on ADA deposits, so allow five to ten minutes. The deposit confirmations lookup lists the figures for other coins.
Swapping ADA from Yoroi or Eternl
On the ADA to USDT page the order gives an addr1 deposit address; send ADA from your wallet and keep enough left for fees and for any tokens that remain in the wallet. The provider's minimum for ADA swaps on 21 October 2026 was about 136 ADA. For an ADA payout paste any of your base addresses; no memo or tag is needed on Cardano.
Common mistakes
- Giving the stake1 address to an exchange as a deposit address โ it is not a payment address and will be rejected.
- Sending ADA from an exchange that still offers only Byron-era withdrawals to a wallet expecting staking โ it arrives, but move it to a base address to stake it.
- Assuming each new addr1 address is a new wallet โ it is the same account, restored by the same recovery phrase.
- Restoring a Yoroi or Eternl phrase in a wallet that only supports Byron or a different derivation โ the balance appears empty until you use a compatible wallet.
FAQ
Why does Yoroi give me a new address every time?
After an address is used, the wallet shows the next one for privacy. All of them belong to your wallet and share one stake key.
Can I receive ADA at my stake1 address?
No. The stake1 address is the reward account. Use an addr1 address for payments.
Do I need a memo for ADA?
No. Cardano deposits are identified by address alone.
Why did sending a token also send about 1.3 ADA?
Every output with tokens must carry a minimum ADA amount. The ADA goes to the recipient along with the token.
Is my ADA locked while staking?
No. Delegated ADA stays spendable; there is no unbonding period on Cardano.