What does the validator check?

Format, character set, length and checksum: bech32/bech32m per BIP173/BIP350, legacy per Base58Check (double SHA-256 checksum) and EVM per EIP-55 (Keccak checksum encoded in letter casing).

What is the difference between bc1q and bc1p?

bc1q are native SegWit addresses (version 0, bech32), bc1p are Taproot addresses (version 1, bech32m with a new checksum constant). They are not interchangeable.

What does EIP-55 mean?

EIP-55 encodes a checksum in the upper/lower casing of the hex address. An all-lowercase address is validly formatted but carries no checksum — typos then go unnoticed.

Does the validator see whether the address exists or holds funds?

No — and that is intentional: there is no blockchain query, nothing leaves your browser. Only formal correctness and checksum validity are checked.

Web3 Lab · T.02

Address Validator

Bitcoin (bech32, Taproot/bech32m, legacy), EVM (EIP-55) and Solana (Base58, 32 bytes) — format and checksum, with explanations. Just paste.

Address — 0x…, bc1…, bc1p…, 1…, 3… or Solana Base58

Examples:

Note: only formal validity (format + checksum) is checked — not existence or balance. No blockchain query happens; nothing leaves your browser.

Knowledge · BIP173 / BIP350 / EIP-55

What is actually checked here

Type	Detection	Checksum
EVM `0x…`	0x + 40 hex	EIP-55 (Keccak, encoded in letter casing)
SegWit `bc1q…`	Version 0	bech32 (BIP173)
Taproot `bc1p…`	Version 1	bech32m (BIP350, new constant)
Legacy `1…/3…`	Version byte 0x00/0x05	Base58Check (double SHA-256)
Solana `Base58`	32-byte public key	no separate checksum (Base58 itself has none)

Go deeper: Wallet Generator (where addresses come from) and AI agents & payments (where wrong addresses cost money).

FAQ

Frequently asked questions

bc1q or bc1p — what is the difference?

bc1q… = SegWit v0 (bech32), bc1p… = Taproot v1 (bech32m). Different checksum constants — a v0 address with a bech32m checksum is invalid and vice versa.

My 0x address is all lowercase — a problem?

Format ok, but no checksum. Typos go unnoticed. Use the EIP-55 spelling (mixed upper/lower case) — the validator shows it to you.

Why no balance lookup?

On purpose: every query reveals your address to a server. Formal validation catches ~99 % of copy-paste errors — without costing privacy.

Planning a custody concept or payment flow?

Address handling, checksum validation and custody processes belong in every Web3 project — I help with reviews and setup.

Request a call To the ETH Converter