TRC20, ERC20 or BEP20: which network should you send USDT on?

USDT does not live on a single blockchain. The same USDT exists on several separate networks, among them Tron (TRC20), Ethereum (ERC20) and BNB Smart Chain (BEP20), and those networks do not talk to each other. Picking the network when you send is the most important decision in any transfer.

One name, several separate ledgers

Think of each network as a separate ledger. USDT on Tron is recorded in Tron's ledger; USDT on Ethereum is recorded in Ethereum's. They are worth the same, but money sent from the Tron ledger only ever arrives in the Tron ledger.

So when an exchange asks "which network?" as you withdraw, it is asking which ledger the money should move in. The destination has to be waiting on that same network.

Tell them apart by the address

The easiest clue is the shape of the address:

• Tron (TRC20): starts with a T and is 34 characters long.
• Ethereum (ERC20) and BEP20: start with 0x and are 42 characters long.

Addresses on Ethereum and BEP20 look exactly the same, and that is where most mistakes happen: the address looks valid, the exchange accepts it, but the money lands on a network where the destination is not expecting it. If the destination is your own personal wallet, it is usually reachable with the same key; if it is an exchange, getting it back depends on that exchange and is sometimes impossible.

A Tron address cannot be mistaken for a 0x one, and reputable exchanges will not accept a T address for another network.

The three side by side

• TRC20 (Tron): fast, with a block roughly every three seconds, and supported by most exchanges. The most common network for moving USDT.
• ERC20 (Ethereum): USDT's oldest network, popular in decentralised finance apps.
• BEP20 (BNB Smart Chain): popular on some exchanges, with addresses that look like Ethereum's.

Fees differ by network and by exchange, and they move with network congestion. The exchange shows you the fee before you confirm a withdrawal; go by that figure.

Money Harbor is Tron only

Money Harbor accepts only USDT and TRX on the Tron network (TRC20). The reason is simplicity: one network means one kind of address and one less place to make a mistake.

• Your deposit address on the deposit page starts with a T and is permanently yours.
• On the exchange you are sending from, choose TRC20 or Tron (TRX) as the network when you withdraw.
• After 20 network confirmations, which usually takes a few minutes, the amount is added to your balance. Deposits are free.
• Any other asset that reaches this address, such as a different token on Tron, will not be credited and cannot be returned.

The step-by-step for funding from a foreign exchange is in the guide to funding and cashing out from abroad.

Four things before every transfer

1. Check the network twice. The network you choose on the exchange must be the one the destination asked for.
2. Copy the address; never type it. After pasting, compare the whole address with the source, not just the first and last few characters; scammers create addresses whose start and end match yours.
3. Send a small amount first. Once it arrives, send the rest.
4. Keep the transaction ID (TXID). If the money is slow to arrive, put it into USDT Check: across Tron, Ethereum and BSC it tells you where the transaction is, whether it has settled and which address it went to, including when it went out on a different network.

This explains how the networks work. It is not investment advice.