How to Send and Receive Crypto Safely
Sending and receiving are the two things every wallet user actually does most often, and the safety habits around them are simple but easy to skip.
To receive funds, you share your public address. Sharing it is always safe -- a public address reveals nothing about your private key, no matter how many times or where it's shared.
To send funds, you enter the recipient's address and the amount. BMIC's post-quantum signature authorises that specific transaction before it ever reaches the chain.
The one habit that matters most: always check the first and last few characters of an address before confirming a send. Some malware on compromised devices silently swaps a copied address for an attacker's own -- checking the visible characters catches this before it costs anything.
Once confirmed, the transaction is visible on-chain within minutes, checkable by anyone, including you -- see the on-chain verification page in this series for how.
FAQ
Is it safe to share my wallet address publicly?
Yes -- a public address is designed to be shared and reveals nothing about your private key.
Why check the address before sending?
Some malware swaps a copied address for an attacker's -- checking the first and last characters catches this before you confirm.
Can a send be reversed after confirming?
No -- like most blockchain transactions, once confirmed and included on-chain, it cannot be reversed, which is exactly why the address check matters.
How quickly does a transaction show up on-chain?
Typically within minutes, after which it's checkable by anyone on a public block explorer.