Where the receiving address comes from

07 September 2026

The receiving address is generated by the swap site’s system at the moment you start a swap. It belongs to the site’s own wallet, not to the person you are swapping with.

Here is why that matters. When you initiate a swap, you are not sending coins directly to the other party. You are sending them to an intermediary. That intermediary is the swap site’s own wallet. The site then forwards an equivalent amount of the other coin to your target wallet. This two-step process is what makes the swap work.

The address you send to is created fresh for each swap. It is not a permanent address you could reuse. The site’s software generates a new receiving address - usually a new sub-address or a unique deposit address - every time you start an order. This is standard practice for any swap or exchange that holds funds temporarily. It prevents mixing up different users’ deposits. It also makes it harder for anyone watching the blockchain to link your swap to your identity, though it does not guarantee anonymity. Blockchain analysis is a separate subject.

The address you see on the swap page is a real, functional address on the blockchain you are using. If you are swapping Bitcoin, you get a Bitcoin address. If you are swapping Ethereum, you get an Ethereum address. The site controls the private keys for that address. Once you send your coins there, the site can move them. It does not hold them longer than necessary. The typical window is a few minutes, though network congestion can extend it.

Why does the address look different each time? Many cryptocurrencies use hierarchical deterministic (HD) wallets. These wallets can generate an unlimited number of addresses from a single seed phrase. The swap site’s software picks one unused address from its HD wallet for your order. It marks that address as “in use” so no other order will send funds to it. This is standard practice. It is not unique to swap sites. Most modern wallets work the same way.

Some people worry that the receiving address might belong to a scammer. In a legitimate swap, the address is the site’s own. You can verify this by checking that the swap site’s domain is correct and that your connection is secure (HTTPS). The site’s reputation is what matters. If you are unsure, read the page titled “How can I check a swap site is real before I send anything.” That page covers verification steps in detail.

The receiving address is shown to you before you send. You should always copy it directly from the swap page. Do not type it manually. Do not copy it from a chat message or email. Scammers sometimes intercept and replace addresses. The site will display the address in a box you can click to copy. Use that.

Once you send your coins, the site detects the transaction on the blockchain. It then sends the swapped coins to the address you provided. That is the whole process. The receiving address is a temporary holding point. It exists only for the duration of your swap. After the swap completes, the site may reuse that address for another order, but that depends on the site’s wallet design. Most do not reuse addresses for security reasons.

If you want to understand the full sequence of events from start to finish, the hub page “What a swap actually does with your coins” explains the entire flow. That page connects the pieces: where you send, where the swapped coins go, and what happens between those two steps.

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