Guides · 2 min read
USDT on Tron or Ethereum: which network should you use?
The same stablecoin travels on different networks. How to tell them apart in Peppy, which coin pays each network's fee, and three checks to make before you send.
USDT is one stablecoin, but it travels on many blockchains. Peppy holds it on two of them: Tron, where it's called TRC-20 USDT, and Ethereum, where it's ERC-20 USDT.
The two networks can't see each other. USDT sent on Tron arrives only at a Tron address, and USDT sent on Ethereum arrives only at an Ethereum address. That's why Peppy keeps them as two balances, USDT · Tron and USDT · Ethereum, and names the network at every step.
How to tell them apart
| USDT · Tron | USDT · Ethereum | |
|---|---|---|
| Token standard | TRC-20 | ERC-20 |
| Address looks like | Starts with T, 34 characters | Starts with 0x, 42 characters |
| Network fee paid in | TRX | ETH |
| Peppy's fee on a send | 0.5%, at least $0.50 | 0.5%, at least $0.50 |
Which one should you use?
Use the network the person or service you're paying asks for. That's the whole rule. If they give you a Tron address, send from USDT · Tron. If they give you an Ethereum address, send from USDT · Ethereum.
One thing to watch: addresses that start with 0x are used on several networks besides Ethereum. If someone gives you a 0x address, ask which network it's on before you send. Peppy handles USDT on Ethereum only for these addresses, so USDT sent to your Peppy address over any other network won't show up in your balance.
When you're the one receiving, open Receive in Peppy, pick the balance and share the address shown there. Tell the sender the network the screen names.
Fees on each network
Peppy's own fee is the same on both: 0.5% of the amount you send, at least 0.50 USDT, added on top so the recipient gets the full amount.
The network fee is different. Every blockchain charges its own fee in its own coin, and it goes to the network, not to Peppy:
- On Tron, the network fee is paid in TRX from your Tron address.
- On Ethereum, it's paid in ETH from your Ethereum address.
So sending USDT · Tron also needs some TRX, and sending USDT · Ethereum needs some ETH. Network fees vary from send to send. The review screen shows the fee before you confirm, and if your TRX or ETH can't cover it, the app tells you how much you need. You can receive more at your own address.
Three checks before you send
- The network. Is it the one the receiver asked for? The balance you send from decides it.
- The address. Paste it, then compare the first and last few characters with what the receiver gave you.
- The amounts. Read the review screen: what arrives, Peppy's fee, the network fee and the total.
Then approve with your PIN. Blockchain transfers can't be reversed once confirmed, so the checks are worth the few seconds. A transfer that doesn't go through is returned to your balance.
Good to know
- Stablecoins carry their own risks. A stablecoin can lose its dollar value, and its issuer can restrict tokens.
- Peppy is not a bank, and balances in Peppy aren't bank deposits.
