Global Bitcoin address validator
How the Bitcoin address format works
- Format
- Base58Check (legacy, starts 1 or 3) or Bech32 (native SegWit, starts bc1)
- Example
- 1A1zP1eP5QGefi2DMPTfTL5SLmv7DivfNa
Things to watch for
- Case-sensitive — validation runs on the exact characters entered
- Supports legacy P2PKH/P2SH (1/3...) and native SegWit Bech32 (bc1...) addresses
- Validates the address checksum in your browser only — does not check balance or ownership
^(1|3|bc1)[0-9A-Za-z]{25,62}$A Bitcoin address is the destination string a wallet generates to receive funds, and it comes in two current formats: legacy Base58Check addresses (starting with ‘1’ for P2PKH or ‘3’ for P2SH) and native SegWit Bech32 addresses (starting with ‘bc1’). Anyone about to send Bitcoin, or building a form that accepts a Bitcoin address as input, benefits from catching a mistyped or corrupted address before funds are sent to it — because unlike a bank transfer, a Bitcoin transaction can’t be reversed once it confirms.
Both address formats embed a checksum in their own encoding specifically so a single mistyped or dropped character is overwhelmingly likely to produce an invalid address rather than a different, equally valid one. That’s a deliberate design choice, not a coincidence — the same reasoning behind check digits on credit card numbers and ISBNs.
How this validator works
This tool detects whether the input is a Base58Check address or a Bech32 address and then verifies that format’s embedded checksum, entirely in your browser. Nothing is sent to a server, there’s no signup, and the address is never broadcast, looked up, or transmitted anywhere.
What a pass doesn’t tell you
A pass means the address is correctly encoded — not that it belongs to the person or exchange you intend to pay, that it has ever received funds, or what its current balance is. This tool never queries the blockchain, so balance, transaction history, and ownership are entirely outside what it can tell you. Always double-check an address through a second channel — a QR code, a confirmed message, or reading it back character by character — before sending funds, since a checksum only catches typos, not a correct-but-wrong address.
Scope: this page and tool cover Bitcoin address format and checksum validation only — not balance lookup, transaction history, or ownership verification.
Content last reviewed 2026-07-07.
Bitcoin address FAQ
What's the difference between addresses starting with 1, 3, and bc1?
Addresses starting with '1' are legacy Pay-to-Public-Key-Hash (P2PKH) addresses; those starting with '3' are Pay-to-Script-Hash (P2SH), often used for multisig wallets; those starting with 'bc1' are native SegWit Bech32 addresses, which are newer and generally cheaper to spend from. All three formats are valid Bitcoin addresses today.
Does a valid checksum mean it's safe to send funds to this address?
A passing checksum means the address is correctly formed and hasn't been mistyped or corrupted — it doesn't mean the address belongs to who you think it does, or that sending funds there is the right call. Bitcoin transactions are irreversible, so always confirm the address through a second channel before sending anything of value.
Can this tool tell me an address's balance or transaction history?
No. Validation happens entirely in your browser and never queries the blockchain, so it has no way to know an address's balance, history, or whether it's ever been used. You'd need a block explorer for that.