Sent crypto to the wrong network? What to do next
Don't panic, and don't send anything else yet. In many cases the tokens are not lost, they are just on a different network from the one you are looking at. What you can do depends on where they went.
First: find the transaction
- Open your wallet's activity and copy the transaction hash (a long code starting with
0x). - Paste it into the block explorer of the network you sent on: Etherscan for Ethereum, Basescan for Base, Arbiscan for Arbitrum.
- Note three things: the network, the token and the address it went to.
Case 1: you sent it to your own wallet, on a different network
Your tokens are safe. Wallets like MetaMask and Rabby use the same address on Ethereum, Base, Arbitrum and other similar networks. The tokens are at your address, just on another network.
- Add that network to your wallet and switch to it. The balance appears.
- If you want them back on the original network, move them across with the swap page.
- You need a little of that network's gas token to move them. If you have none, see how to get ETH for fees.
Case 2: you sent it to an exchange, on a network the exchange doesn't support
Exchanges give a deposit address for a specific network. If you used a different one, the deposit usually isn't credited.
- Contact the exchange's support through its official website or app. Never use a link someone sent you.
- Give them the transaction hash, the network, the token and the amount.
- Some exchanges can recover the funds, sometimes for a fee. It isn't guaranteed, and it can take weeks.
Case 3: you sent it to someone else's wallet, on a different network
- If they use a normal wallet, they control the same address on the other network. They add that network and send it back.
- If it's a smart-contract wallet (for example a Safe), the address may not exist on the other network yet. Recovery is sometimes possible but technical, so ask the wallet provider's official support.
Case 4: you sent it to a token contract or a mistyped address
If the address belongs to nobody, or to a token contract itself, the funds are almost always lost. Nobody can reverse a blockchain transaction.
Watch out for "recovery" scammers. People who have lost funds get targeted with messages offering to recover them for a fee or for your recovery phrase.
Real support never asks for your recovery phrase, and no one can "hack back" your tokens.
How to avoid it next time
- Before sending, check that the network in your wallet matches the network the recipient asked for.
- Send a small test amount first when using a new address or a new network.
- To move tokens between networks, use a bridge or the swap page, not a normal transfer.
Nothing here is financial advice. Crypto transactions cannot be reversed.