Step 15 – Receive Cryptocurrency and Bitcoin in a Cryptocurrency Wallet

It is strongly recommended to take this step only after completing Step 14. Otherwise, after receiving cryptocurrency, your entire wallet balance may become permanently inaccessible. Permanently.

At the beginning of the learning journey, one of the fastest and safest ways to own cryptocurrency is to receive it from someone who already has cryptocurrency and also has sufficient knowledge and experience in transferring it—and has done so successfully many times before. Ideally, this person should be a trusted family member, relative, or close friend with whom you usually have fiat transactions (or other common currencies such as US dollars, euros, etc.).

Please do not receive cryptocurrency from, or transfer fiat money to, people whose professional, social, or legal background you do not know well, under any circumstances.

Let us assume that one of your friends can transfer Bitcoin, Ethereum, Binance Coin, or another cryptocurrency to your wallet. In this example, I use Binance Coin—known in the crypto world by the symbol BNB—so that the educational transfer process can be completed quickly and with a lower network fee for your friend. You can use the same steps to receive Bitcoin, Ethereum, Solana, Avalanche, Dogecoin, Cardano, or any other cryptocurrency in Trust Wallet. The steps you must follow are as follows:

Warning
Before doing anything, connect to the internet and disable and disconnect any VPN, proxy, or filtering applications.

1. Launch Trust Wallet (tap the Trust Wallet icon in your phone’s app list).

2. Tap on BNB (Binance Coin). Its icon looks like a white hexagon inside a yellow circle. Over time, you must become familiar with the icon, symbol, name, color, and logo of each cryptocurrency, because among the roughly 24,000 cryptocurrencies available to date, correctly identifying the intended coin and avoiding mistakes is extremely important.

3. On the next screen, you will see your Binance Coin balance, which is currently zero. Note that worldwide, the standard abbreviation for Binance Coin is BNB.

Warning

The symbols IRR, USD, and EUR represent the Iranian rial, US dollar, and euro, respectively. Likewise, if you intend to exchange Binance Coin, you must look specifically for the symbol BNB and no other. Symbols such as WBNB, fBNB, or BNBB are not Binance Coin. Even though WBNB may have nearly the same value as BNB, you cannot receive WBNB if you want BNB.

4. On the same page showing your BNB balance and transaction list, tap Receive. A new screen appears containing the following:

• The phrase “Receive BNB” at the top.
• A QR code in the center that can be scanned by mobile cameras or apps. This QR code contains your Binance Coin wallet address.
• Below the QR code, a string of letters and numbers—this is your Binance Coin wallet address, for example:
  bnb1jrzptuugii388wdtq4kgzuc055heeawd704f9a

This address functions like your bank account number, IBAN, or 16-digit card number.

You will also see “No memo required,” meaning this transfer does not require a memo. Some transactions do require one, usually a number, but not in this case.

The note below the address states: “Only send Binance Coin (BNB) to this address. Sending other coins may result in permanent loss.”

Below that, there are three options. In this step, we focus on the Copy option.

You could also access your BNB wallet address another way: after opening Trust Wallet, tap Receive at the top, search for BNB, and select the result that shows the name BNB on the left and the symbol BNB on the right. The zero next to it indicates your balance. Do not select BNB on the ERC20 network.

5. Tap Copy. Your Binance Coin wallet address is now copied to your phone’s clipboard and can be sent via email or a messaging app.

6. Send your Binance Coin wallet address to your friend. Exit Trust Wallet, open WhatsApp (or any other messaging or email app), long-press in the message field, tap Paste, and then send the message. If you do not see the address, repeat steps 5 and 6 or ask someone you trust for help.

If your friend is physically with you, they can simply scan the QR code from step 4 using their own Trust Wallet app, making the process faster and simpler.

7. Ask your friend to carefully verify the entire wallet address—character by character—with you before sending any BNB. For example, have them read the address aloud while you compare it with what you see in your Trust Wallet, ensuring they match exactly.

Warning

This verification is essential because malware, hackers, or other threats may replace your copied wallet address with a scammer’s address in your device’s memory. VPNs and proxies are also major security risks and can expose wallet addresses and passwords, leading to irreversible losses.

8. Once you are absolutely sure the address is correct, ask your friend to send you a small amount of BNB using the BEP2 network (network selection is explained in Step 16).

9. After your friend sends the BNB, wait until it appears in your wallet.

The waiting time can range from a fraction of a second to several days, depending on the cryptocurrency and network congestion. At the time of writing, BNB transfers on the BEP2 network are usually completed within seconds, while Bitcoin transfers may take hours or even a full day.

In some cryptocurrencies, the received amount may be slightly less than expected due to address creation fees, which are explained in each project’s whitepaper and smart contract.

10. You can now transfer the fiat equivalent of the received coin to your friend or return the same amount of cryptocurrency to them.

Congratulations. You have purchased your first cryptocurrency.

You can follow the same process to receive Bitcoin, with the difference that the sender must pay a higher network fee, which is explained in Step 16.

Since wallet addresses are not confidential (unlike private keys and recovery phrases), they are also called public keys. In today’s Web3 world, wallet addresses can be linked to blockchain domains, allowing you to share a readable name instead of a long address, such as:

mahdibml.crypto

Worth Noting

Peer-to-peer transfers remain one of the most common entry points into crypto, but they also carry high social-engineering risk. Small test transfers, address-verification habits, and avoiding VPNs during transactions significantly reduce loss probability. Blockchain domains and human-readable addresses are becoming standard in Web3, improving usability and reducing errors.

How AI Helps

AI-powered security tools can detect clipboard hijacking, phishing attempts, and malicious apps in real time. Blockchain analytics platforms use AI to flag abnormal transfer behavior, while smart assistants can guide users step-by-step to reduce human error during wallet operations.

FAQ

Why should Step 15 be done only after Step 14?

Because without a properly secured wallet and backup, received funds can become permanently inaccessible.

Is it safe to receive crypto from strangers?

No. Receiving crypto from unknown individuals increases the risk of fraud, legal issues, and permanent loss.

Why is address verification so important?

Malware can replace copied wallet addresses, redirecting funds to attackers without your knowledge.

How long does it take for crypto to arrive?

Transfer time depends on the blockchain and network load, ranging from seconds to days.

Why might I receive less crypto than expected?

Some blockchains charge one-time address creation or network fees, explained in their whitepapers.

What is a public key in crypto wallets?

A public key is your wallet address, which can be safely shared to receive cryptocurrency.