Bitcoin vs. Bitcoin Cash: What's the Difference?
Bitcoin (BTC) and Bitcoin Cash (BCH) have similar names and share part of their technical history, but today they are separate cryptocurrencies running on separate networks. A BTC payment does not become a BCH payment, and BCH held in a wallet cannot be sent as BTC.
If a checkout offers both, select the currency that your wallet or exchange actually holds and supports for withdrawal.
Why are there two currencies?
Bitcoin Cash separated from the Bitcoin network in August 2017 when participants adopted incompatible rules for processing blocks and transactions. Both networks share the transaction history that existed before the split. From the split onward, they have maintained independent ledgers, software, communities, exchange rates, and network rules.
One central difference was how to increase transaction capacity. Bitcoin Cash changed its rules to permit more transaction data in each block and has continued to focus on on-chain capacity. Bitcoin retained its own block rules and its ecosystem also uses technologies outside the base blockchain, such as payment channels, to handle additional activity.
This history explains the names, but it does not make BTC and BCH interchangeable.
The practical differences
| Bitcoin | Bitcoin Cash | |
|---|---|---|
| Name and ticker | Bitcoin (BTC) | Bitcoin Cash (BCH) |
| Network | Bitcoin network | Bitcoin Cash network |
| Ledger after August 2017 | Independent BTC transaction history | Independent BCH transaction history |
| Common mainnet addresses | Often bc1...; legacy addresses can start with 1... or 3... | Canonical CashAddr starts with bitcoincash:q... or bitcoincash:p... |
| Smallest commonly used unit | satoshi; 100,000,000 satoshis equal 1 BTC | satoshi; 100,000,000 satoshis equal 1 BCH |
| Exchange rate | Determined independently for BTC | Determined independently for BCH |
| Transaction fee | Paid on the BTC network and varies with network conditions and wallet settings | Paid on the BCH network and varies with network conditions and wallet settings |
The same numerical amount does not have the same value on both networks. For example, 0.001 BTC and 0.001 BCH are different assets with independent market prices. Always pay the exact asset and amount shown by the checkout rather than converting the amount yourself.
How to recognise the address
For new payments, Bitcoin commonly uses addresses beginning with bc1. Bitcoin Cash uses CashAddr, normally displayed with the bitcoincash: prefix. The prefix exists in part to make the intended network clearer and reduce confusion with older address formats.
Some wallets omit the bitcoincash: prefix on screen, and both networks still have legacy address formats that can look similar. Do not choose a network based only on the first character of an address. Check the checkout label, ticker, wallet network, complete address, and amount together.
Manatee displays canonical, prefixed CashAddr for BCH payments whenever the integration provides the address in its current format.
Before you pay
- Check whether the checkout says Bitcoin (BTC) or Bitcoin Cash (BCH).
- Confirm that your wallet or exchange balance uses the same ticker.
- Select the matching withdrawal network. Do not select a similarly named network to reduce the fee.
- Scan the checkout QR code or copy the complete address.
- Verify the asset, address, and amount again in your wallet before approving the transaction.
- After sending, wait for the merchant to report that the payment was detected. Detection is not the same as final confirmation, so do not assume the order is complete until the shop shows the corresponding status.
Your wallet may show its own network fee in addition to the amount requested by the merchant. The fee normally goes to the network's miners; it is not part of the amount the shop needs to receive.
What if I use the wrong network?
A broadcast blockchain payment cannot simply be cancelled or charged back like a card payment. Sending BTC when a merchant requested BCH, or BCH when a merchant requested BTC, will not satisfy the order on the requested network.
Recovery may be difficult or impossible and depends on the destination address, wallet software, and who controls the corresponding keys. Manatee cannot move or recover funds because it does not control the merchant's wallet. Contact the sending wallet or exchange and the merchant immediately, and do not send a second payment until the merchant explains how the order will be handled.
Which one should I choose?
Use the option that the merchant offers and that your wallet can send on the matching network. If you hold only BTC, choose Bitcoin. If you hold only BCH, choose Bitcoin Cash. If you hold both, compare the exact checkout amount, wallet support, network fee, and the merchant's confirmation requirements before deciding.
This guide explains payment compatibility. It does not recommend purchasing either asset and is not investment advice.
Technical references
- Bitcoin developer guide: blockchain and transactions
- Bitcoin Cash Node: August 2017 network upgrade
- Bitcoin Cash CashAddr specification
For Manatee's current availability, see Supported Assets and Non-Custodial Scope. Developers implementing BCH payments should use the BCH Testnet Quickstart.