One application can contain two unrelated payment instructions
A multi-asset wallet can place Bitcoin Cash and Bitcoin next to each other in the same account list. That convenience does not turn a BCH transfer into a BTC transfer. Open the asset explicitly and check its receiving or sending label before copying details. When preparing this exchange, the BCH side pays the deposit while the BTC side receives the result. Record the ticker alongside each address so a generic label such as “my Bitcoin wallet” does not hide which asset you selected.
The Bitcoin Cash CashAddr specification describes a network-identifying prefix and an address payload with a checksum. Its design helps distinguish receiving information; it is not a conversion service between assets. Legacy-looking displays can also cause confusion, so apparent similarity should never substitute for the wallet’s explicit asset and network instruction. Do not edit a prefix or use a random converter to make an address appear acceptable to the wrong field. Obtain the correct receiving details from the intended BTC wallet instead.
Keep these records on opposite sides of the exchange
| Record | BCH input side | BTC output side |
|---|---|---|
| Wallet screen | The account holding spendable Bitcoin Cash | The account intended to receive Bitcoin |
| Address purpose | The deposit instruction issued for BCH payment | Your BTC recipient supplied to the order |
| Amount | BCH actually being sent | BTC shown in the current receiving calculation |
| Network record | The BCH funding transaction | The BTC payout transaction when issued |
| Question during a review | Did the correct BCH payment reach its deposit? | Did the BTC payout reach the intended recipient? |
Correct an ambiguous wallet selection before sending
- Name the source asset in full
Check Bitcoin Cash and the BCH ticker in the actual sending screen. If a hosted platform offers several withdrawal networks, inspect the one matching the current deposit instruction. Do not decide from the app logo or a saved contact name. An old address-book entry should be treated as a record needing verification, not as proof of the selected asset.
- Read the Bitcoin recipient independently
Open the intended BTC receive screen or hosted BTC deposit instruction. Bitcoin.org’s wallet information distinguishes address-format capabilities; a format recognised by one service does not guarantee support by every sender. If the order rejects a recipient, clarify its supported format rather than replacing characters manually. Changing the input asset is not a method for repairing the recipient.
- Preserve evidence if a transfer already happened
Keep the order identifier, selected networks, full recipient instruction and source transaction reference. Ask for a review using those facts if something does not match. Do not assume a mistaken cross-network transfer can be recovered, and do not share a recovery phrase to investigate it. A second exchange cannot rewrite the destination of the transaction you already submitted.
Keeping BCH funding separate from BTC delivery
- Can I send BCH directly to the BTC recipient to perform the conversion?
- No. Follow the exchange’s BCH deposit instruction and supply the BTC recipient separately. Address similarity or shared wallet branding does not perform an asset conversion.
- Is it safe to fix an address mismatch by changing its prefix?
- Do not repair a rejected recipient by hand. Obtain the correct asset-specific receiving instruction and clarify format support. Rewriting a label is not proof that the resulting destination is appropriate.
Wallet and address-format documentation
- Bitcoin Cash address specification
- Bitcoin wallet address-format capabilities
- Bitcoin Cash wallet receiving context
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