Most crypto is lost in ordinary ways. Sending on the wrong network is the most common irreversible one, and it is entirely avoidable.
Why a wrong send cannot be undone
There is no support desk that can reverse a blockchain transaction, because there is no central party to ask. If the funds reach an address the network does not recognise them, they are not lost exactly — but nobody controls that address, and in practice they are gone.
The five checks, every time
- Address. Copy it with the copy button, never by typing it. Compare the first six and the last six characters afterwards — a substitution attack relies on you not looking.
- Network. The single most important line. USDT on one chain is not the same asset as USDT on another, and the address format differs. Check the network the deposit page names, and only that one.
- Amount. Send a small test first, every time you use a new address.
- Source. Make sure the funds are in the wallet you mean to send from. Which kind of wallet matters here.
- Destination. Is this the address the site just gave you, in this session? A saved address from a previous deposit is the classic wrong-destination.
Two habits that prevent nearly all of it: send a small test first, and do not follow a deposit address that arrived in a message, a link or a QR code from anyone. A real deposit page shows it inside the page you are logged in to.
What to do after a mistake
Report it to the operator immediately through the Help Center — they can sometimes reach the recipient on a major exchange. Speed is the only variable, and it is a small window.
The wider habits are in the security checklist.