Bitcoin Cash Address Types Explained

Quick overview

Bitcoin Cash uses the same fundamental script types as Bitcoin, but it uses a unique address format to prevent users from accidentally sending funds to the wrong network.

Today you will encounter two types of addresses:

  • Standard address
  • Script address

The CashAddr Standard

In 2018, Bitcoin Cash introduced the CashAddr format. This encoding improved checksum reliability and made addresses easier to distinguish from other networks.

By default, all modern Bitcoin Cash addresses start with the prefix bitcoincash:. However, many wallets and block explorers omit this prefix for brevity. Whether the prefix is displayed or not, the underlying address remains the same.

Standard (P2PKH)

Standard CashAddr addresses start with q.

P2PKH stands for Pay to Public Key Hash.

This is the most common address type for individual users. It locks funds to the hash of a single public key. When you receive a "standard" payment, you are likely using a Standard address.

Legacy compatibility: In the old, deprecated format, these addresses started with 1. While the keys are identical, modern software uses the q prefix to avoid confusion with Bitcoin (BTC).

Script (P2SH)

These CashAddr addresses start with p.

P2SH stands for Pay to Script Hash. It is used for more complex transactions, such as multisignature wallets or smart contracts. Instead of sending funds to a public key, they are sent to a script hash.

Legacy compatibility: Historically, these addresses started with 3. In the CashAddr standard, they were moved to the p prefix to ensure they are clearly distinguishable as Bitcoin Cash addresses.

Summary and recommendations

When sharing your address, it is best practice to use the full CashAddr format. If your wallet provides an address starting with q or p, you are using the correct modern standard.

If you encounter a platform that only accepts legacy addresses (starting with 1 or 3), you can use a converter, but be extremely careful to ensure you are actually sending Bitcoin Cash and not another asset.