How to check a wallet address before sending crypto

Before you send USDT or USDC to another player, a seller or a teammate, paste their address into a stablecoin explorer such as Stablecoin scanner ACHIVX. It shows whether the address is active on the network you plan to use, its balance, its recent transfers, and whether the issuer has frozen it. Then send a small test amount and wait for the other side to confirm before you send the rest.

Why it's worth two minutes

You can't undo a stablecoin transfer. Tether's terms warn that once you send tokens to an address, "whether intentionally or by a fraudulent or accidental transaction, you accept the risk that you may lose access to, and any claim on, those Tether Tokens" source. Circle says you "bear all responsibility for any losses that might be incurred as a result of sending USDC to an incorrect or unintended USDC address" source.

Step by step

1. Get the address in writing, together with the token and the network. Copy it from the message; don't retype it.
2. Match the format to the network. A Tron address in wallets is "Base58Check — 34 characters starting with T" source; Ethereum-style addresses start with "0x". If the format doesn't fit the network you picked, stop.
3. Paste it into Stablecoin scanner ACHIVX. The search box accepts Tron, Ethereum-style and Solana addresses and opens the address page.
4. Read the address page (see below).
5. Compare the whole address, not only the first and last few characters. The ethereum.org security guide says: "Always make sure the address you are sending to exactly matches the desired recipient's address before sending a transaction" source.
6. Send a small test, wait for confirmation, then send the rest. Keep the transaction ID.

What the address page tells you

• Balance in the token, right under the address.
• Transfer history, newest first. An address with no history isn't automatically a scam, but a "big trader" with an empty wallet is a reason to slow down.
• Issuer freezes. Whether Tether or Circle has frozen the address. Don't send to a frozen address: under Circle's policy a blocked address "can no longer send or receive Circle Stablecoin" source. The full public list is the freeze ledger.
• Sanctions line and name tags. A line appears when the address is on the US OFAC sanctions list, and a label when one is known. A label is a hint, not proof of who owns the address.
• Poisoning caution. An amber card when the address has sent batches of zero-value transfers, the pattern used to plant look-alike addresses in people's histories.

Red flags in a game trade

• The address is frozen, sanctioned or flagged for poisoning.
• The address on the page differs from yours somewhere in the middle: you probably copied a look-alike.
• The seller keeps changing the address or the network.
• You're being rushed. Circle's disclosures warn: "IF YOU ARE BEING THREATENED OR TOLD THE TRANSACTION MUST BE COMPLETED QUICKLY, A SCAMMER MIGHT BE ATTEMPTING TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF YOU" source.

More traps are covered in crypto scams in item and account trading.

FAQ

Can I find out who owns a wallet address?

No. An address doesn't carry a name. Some well-known addresses have labels, but that isn't an identity check.

The address looks clean. Is the trade safe?

It means you're less likely to hit a typo, a frozen or a sanctioned address. It can't tell you whether the seller will deliver the item.

Why does a new Tron address show no information?

Tron's docs say "the network only recognizes it after activation. Until activation, the address cannot be looked up via API or block explorer queries" source. It shows up once the account has been activated.

Does checking cost anything?

No. Looking up an address is free and doesn't send anything.