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Sikh Bitcoin · Beginner · Lesson 6 of 21

Addresses, networks and QR codes

Learn why a familiar-looking destination is not enough.

About 10 minutes with practice. You only need something to take notes with. No real wallet details or payments are part of this lesson.

Course contents · Lesson 6 of 21
  1. Bitcoin without jargon
  2. Keys, custody and keeping control
  3. Payments for humans, including Lightning
  4. Money, prices and units
  5. Follow a payment from request to receipt
  6. Addresses, networks and QR codes
  7. Confirmations and patience
  8. Fees buy scarce block space
  9. Backups before dependence
  10. Scams, urgency and trusted routes
  11. Privacy is a practice
  12. Custody is a relationship
  13. Reading a Lightning invoice
  14. Exchanges and access to bitcoin
  15. Volatility and practical planning
  16. A fair invoice for creative work
  17. Donations with accountable purpose
  18. Proof of work and honest energy questions
  19. Bitcoin and Litecoin: related ideas, separate networks
  20. Read Bitcoin news with a source trail
  21. Capstone: welcome a newcomer safely

What you will learn

  • Check the requested asset and network.
  • Explain why a QR code does not authenticate a recipient.

An address has a job

A receiving address encodes information a wallet uses to construct a payment destination. It is not a person’s universal financial identity. Bitcoin address formats differ, and other networks use their own formats. A familiar prefix can be a clue, but it cannot replace checking the intended network in the recipient’s and sender’s software.

A code carries information

A QR code is a representation of data. It can contain an address or a richer payment request. Replacing the code on a poster can change where a payment goes while the surrounding design looks authentic. Review the decoded destination, asset, amount and recipient context. Comparing the beginning and end alone is weaker than verifying the full request through the recipient’s known channel.

A classroom check needs no live wallet

Draw a pretend invoice with the labels recipient, Bitcoin mainnet, amount, expiry and order reference. Give another learner the task of finding what is missing. Never put a real seed, private key or fabricated spendable destination in the exercise. Test networks are separate environments; a label saying test is not enough unless the actual software and destination agree. A community page should never recycle an Ethereum-style domain-owner address as a BTC donation address.

Practice on paper

A website headline says “Donate BTC,” but the payment pane names a different network. What should a beginner do?

Reveal the worked answer

Stop and ask the verified recipient to resolve the mismatch. Do not guess, bridge or substitute an address. A matching network and clearly explained receiving arrangement must precede a real payment.

Check your understanding

Choose an answer in your head or on paper, then reveal the explanation. Retry whenever you like. Answers are not submitted or scored; completion marks are your own learning notes.

1. Does a valid QR code prove who owns the destination?

  • Yes
  • No
Reveal answer 1

No. It shows that data can be decoded, not that the recipient is authentic.

2. Can one assume BTC and LTC addresses are interchangeable?

  • Yes
  • No
Reveal answer 2

No. They represent different networks; validate the complete payment method.

Take this with you

Verify the meaning of a destination, not just its appearance.

Your learning, at your pace

Read every lesson freely. Optional progress tracking needs JavaScript and browser storage; it does not require an account or wallet.