ERC-20 is the token standard on Ethereum, and it is what USDT, USDC and DAI are issued as when they live on that network. An Ethereum address is 0x followed by 40 hexadecimal characters, with an EIP-55 checksum expressed through the mix of upper and lower case, and the same address holds ETH along with every ERC-20 token sent to it. Two of the largest ERC-20 stablecoins have issuers who reserve contract-level powers over balances, which is the difference that matters most when you are accepting a payment.
An Ethereum address looks like 0x5aAeb6053F3E94C9b9A09f33669435E7Ef1BeAed. The mixed case is not decoration: EIP-55 encodes a checksum in it, which is why an address copied with the case changed can be rejected by wallets that verify it. ETH and every ERC-20 token at that address share the string.
The issuers of the two dominant stablecoins on Ethereum both publish the powers they hold. Tether's Terms of Service reserve the right to freeze Tether Tokens held by a user and to blacklist digital token addresses on suspected prohibited use. Circle's USDC Terms reserve the right to block USDC addresses, to freeze associated USDC where addresses are Circle-custodied, and to block on-chain transfers to and from an address under the blocklisting policy.
| ERC-20 (Ethereum) | TRC-20 (TRON) | |
|---|---|---|
| Address format | 0x plus 40 hex characters, EIP-55 checksum in the casing | Base58, starts with T, 34 characters |
| Common stablecoins | USDT, USDC, DAI | USDT, and USDC to a limited extent |
| Issuer control | Tether and Circle both reserve contract-level powers | Tether reserves contract-level powers |
| What a check reports | Issuer freeze or block status plus named risk categories | The same |
Sending an ERC-20 balance to a TRON-formatted address, or picking the wrong network on a withdrawal screen, is the everyday version of this table going wrong. The formats are unmistakable once you have seen both.
Because Ethereum is where a great deal of business settlement happens — invoices, payroll, treasury transfers — and a blocked or frozen counterparty address stops a payment that everyone assumed was routine. The check answers that before the transfer, in seconds.
Screen the counterparty address free in the Telegram bot, three times a day; what a check covers on this network is on the Ethereum page.
An ERC-20 check names issuer freeze or block status as a plain fact and lists any risk categories connected to the address in plain words, alongside the verdict — CLEAN, LOW, MEDIUM, HIGH or CRITICAL — a recommendation of Proceed, Caution, Review or Reject, and the decision drivers. Because ETH and the tokens share an address, one check covers the whole string.
Desks screening deposit and withdrawal flow run the same check in the workspace and through the API, with a signed report per decision. Plans are on the pricing page.
The token standard on Ethereum. USDT, USDC and DAI on Ethereum are ERC-20 tokens, and they share an address with the ETH held at the same string.
The casing carries the EIP-55 checksum. Changing it can make an address fail validation in wallets that check it, so copy addresses rather than retyping them.
Both issuers reserve contract-level powers in their published terms — Tether over freezing tokens and blacklisting addresses, Circle over blocking addresses and on-chain transfers to and from them.
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The address format and the issuers differ; what the result gives you does not. In both cases it names issuer freeze status and the risk categories connected to the address.
Send any wallet to the Telegram bot and get a verdict in seconds. Three checks a day, free, no signup. Desks that screen every deposit run it on plans from $199/mo.