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Bitcoin vs. Bitcoin Gold vs. Bitcoin Cash vs. Bitcoin Satoshi Vision

*Never mix addresses: BTC, BCH, BTG, and BSV are separate chains. Sending to the wrong chain’s address can permanently lose funds.  *Bitco...

Updated over 2 weeks ago

*Never mix addresses: BTC, BCH, BTG, and BSV are separate chains. Sending to the wrong chain’s address can permanently lose funds.

*Bitcoin Gold and Bitcoin Satoshi Vision are currently deprecated on Edge.

*If you need to recover funds read these articles

  • Recover Bitcoin Cash From Legacy Bitcoin Wallet.

  • Recover Bitcoin (BTC) sent to a Bitcoin Cash (BCH) address

  • Recover BCH sent to a "segwit" Bitcoin address

Wallet addresses made simple (BTC, BCH, BTG, BSV)

Use this quick guide to recognize the right address before you send. If the format doesn’t match, stop—it’s the wrong network.

Bitcoin (BTC) — address formats (Edge specifics)

  • SegWit (bech32) — starts with bc1q…
    ​Default in new Edge BTC wallets; lowest fees and best error-checking.
    ​Example: bc1qexampleaddressdontsendxxxxxxxxxxxx

  • Taproot (bech32m) — starts with bc1p…
    ​Modern script type for advanced uses; supported in Edge.
    ​Example: bc1pexampletaprootdontsendxxxxxxxxxx

  • Wrapped SegWit (P2SH-SegWit) — starts with 3…
    ​“Compatibility SegWit.” Some services still require this format. Edge can generate it when needed.
    ​Example: 3ExampleBTCWrappedSegWitDoNotSend3333

  • Legacy (P2PKH) — starts with 1…
    ​Edge lets you create a No-SegWit (legacy-only) BTC wallet if you need it, but fees are higher and it’s easier to mix up with other coins.
    ​Example: 1ExampleBTCAddressDoNotSend11111111

Important notes for new users

  • Prefer bc1… on BTC inside Edge. It’s cheaper and reduces typos.

  • Wrapped SegWit (3…) is fine for compatibility, but double-check the network before sending.

  • Legacy BTC (1…) can cause confusion with BCH/BSV, which also have legacy 1…/3… formats. If you create a No-SegWit BTC wallet in Edge, be extra careful not to paste those addresses into a Bitcoin Cash send (or vice versa).

  • Never send across chains. If you see bitcoincash:… or a BCH q…/p… CashAddr, that is not a BTC address.

Bitcoin Cash (BCH) — address formats (Edge specifics)

  • CashAddr (recommended):
    In Edge, BCH receive addresses start with q… or p… and the app hides the bitcoincash: prefix.

    • Example P2PKH: qzexampleaddressxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

    • Example P2SH: pzexampleaddressxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
      ​Note: Even if you don’t see it, the full form is bitcoincash:q… or bitcoincash:p…. It’s still a BCH address.

  • Legacy format (use only if required):
    BCH can also use legacy Base58 addresses that look like BTC: 1… (P2PKH) or 3… (P2SH).

    • This creates confusion because BTC and BSV also use 1…/3….

    • Using legacy increases the risk of sending BCH↔BTC by mistake, which is usually irreversible.

Safety tips

  1. Copy from Edge’s BCH “Receive” screen and send as-is (don’t add/remove text).

  2. If an exchange asks for a legacy BCH address, double-check the network is Bitcoin Cash, then do a small test send first.

  3. If you see bc1…, that’s Bitcoin (BTC), not BCH.

  4. When in doubt, ask the sender to include the full form with prefix: bitcoincash:….

Bitcoin Gold (BTG)

  • P2PKH: typically starts with G…

    • Example: GexampleBTGaddressDoNotSendGGGGGGG

  • P2SH: typically starts with A…

    • Example: AexampleBTGmultisigDoNotSendAAAAAA
      ​Tip: If it starts with 1, 3, or bc1…, it’s not BTG.

Bitcoin SV (BSV)

  • Legacy formats only: 1… (P2PKH) and 3… (P2SH-style)

    • Examples: 1ExampleBSVaddressDoNotSend111111
      ​3ExampleBSVmultisigDoNotSend33333
      ​Tip: BSV does not use bc1…. If you see bc1…, you’re on BTC.

Before you send: quick checks

  1. Match coin → network → address (select the right asset in Edge).

  2. Check the first characters against the list above.

  3. Use the Receive tab for that coin in Edge; paste the address to confirm it’s valid for that network.

  4. Test with a small amount if it’s a new contact/wallet.

  5. Never cross chains—a send to the wrong network is usually irreversible.

What each one is

Bitcoin (BTC)

  • Goal: Secure, censorship-resistant money; slow, conservative changes.

  • Mining: SHA-256 (ASIC miners).

  • Blocks/fees: Smaller blocks, variable fees; Layer-2 (Lightning) helps with small payments.

  • Ecosystem: Most exchanges, wallets, infrastructure, and developer activity.

Bitcoin Cash (BCH)

  • Goal: “Peer-to-peer cash” with bigger blocks to keep on-chain fees low.

  • Mining: SHA-256 (compatible hardware with BTC, but separate chain).

  • Trade-off: Cheaper payments; smaller network and developer base than BTC.

Bitcoin Gold (BTG)

  • Goal: “Make mining decentralized again” (GPU-friendly via Equihash).

  • History/notes: Smaller community; infrastructure thinned over time (fewer reliable public nodes and providers).

  • Status in Edge: Deprecated (details below).

Bitcoin SV (BSV)

  • Goal: Restore “Satoshi’s vision” with very large blocks and on-chain scaling.

  • Notes: Protocol and node behavior diverge from BTC/BCH conventions; frequent ecosystem churn; limited third-party infra.

  • Status in Edge: Deprecated (details below).

Why Edge deprecated Bitcoin Gold (BTG) and Bitcoin SV (BSV)

Supporting a network in a non-custodial wallet requires reliable, secure, and maintainable infrastructure (healthy public nodes, stable RPC behavior, current libraries, active upstream maintenance). Over time, BTG and BSV failed these requirements for Edge users:

  1. Insufficient reliable nodes / upstream support

    • At various points we could not consistently connect to robust public nodes or get dependable chain data. Without trustworthy peers, a wallet cannot safely fetch balances, track confirmations, or broadcast transactions.

  2. Security & maintenance risk

    • Stale or sparsely maintained node software and ecosystem tools raise the risk of bugs, chain stalls, or edge-case failures—unacceptable for user safety.

  3. Protocol/API divergence & churn (especially BSV)

    • Repeated incompatibilities with standard Bitcoin tooling, changing assumptions, and non-standard behaviors increased complexity and the risk of misbroadcasts or unexpected failures.

  4. Low usage vs. high operational cost

    • User activity and liquidity on these chains didn’t justify the ongoing infrastructure, engineering, and monitoring burden—resources are better spent improving high-demand, secure networks.

Bottom line: We deprecated BTG and BSV to protect users and focus on well-supported networks. This does not affect your ownership of funds already on those chains.

“Do I lose my coins if Edge drops support?”

No. Your coins live on their blockchains, not in Edge. Edge is a non-custodial wallet—you control access via your recovery phrase. If Edge no longer supports a chain:

  • Your funds remain on that chain’s addresses.

  • You can recover the same wallet using your 12/24-word recovery phrase in another wallet that still supports that chain.

  • If you still have spendable access elsewhere, consider moving funds to a widely supported asset/network.

Safety tip: Before importing your recovery phrase into any third-party wallet, verify the app’s authenticity and reputation. If you hold BTC/BCH in the same seed, consider first moving those to fresh addresses in Edge to reduce exposure (standard best practice when using your phrase in new software).

FAQs

Can I convert BTG/BSV inside Edge?
Not if the chain is deprecated. You’d need to recover in a wallet that supports that chain, then send to an exchange or bridge that lists it—at your own risk.

Why does BCH still work if it’s also a fork?
BCH maintains more compatible tooling, more stable infrastructure, and stronger third-party support—making it feasible to support safely.

Are BTC and BCH addresses interchangeable?
No. BCH uses cashaddr (e.g., bitcoincash:qq...). BTC uses legacy (1...), nested SegWit (3...), or bech32 (bc1...). Always match coin → network → address format.

What if a network “comes back”?
If a previously deprecated chain regains healthy infrastructure and user demand, we can reassess. We won’t compromise on reliability or user safety.

How to tell which coin you’re using (quick checks)

  • Ticker & logo in Edge.

  • Address format when receiving (e.g., bc1 = BTC bech32; bitcoincash: = BCH cashaddr).

  • Network name in the transaction details.

Takeaways

  • BTC and BCH remain supported, liquid, and well-maintained.

  • BTG and BSV were deprecated due to infrastructure, security, and maintenance realities—not ideology.

  • Your funds are always yours: keep your recovery phrase safe so you can restore anywhere if needed.

Related Articles
How do I access Bitcoin Satoshi Vision (BSV)?
How to Recover BCH sent to BSV
Recover Bitcoin Cash (BCH) sent to a "legacy" Bitcoin (BTC) address
My BSV didn't appear when I split, how do I recover my BSV?
What is Cashaddr?
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