What Is a Transaction Hash in Crypto?

A transaction hash, often called a transaction ID or TXID, is the reference number for one blockchain transaction. Paste it into the right block explorer and anyone can see whether the transaction exists, where it went and how many confirmations it has. It's the single most useful thing to have when a payment seems to be missing, and it's also easy to confuse with things that aren't hashes at all.

Quick answer

A transaction hash is a unique identifier for a blockchain transaction. With it, you can look up the transaction's status, the sending and receiving addresses, the amount, the fee and the number of confirmations on a block explorer for that network.

What one looks like

Most hashes are long strings of letters and numbers. A Bitcoin, Litecoin or Dogecoin TXID is 64 hexadecimal characters. On Ethereum and other EVM networks such as BNB Smart Chain, it's 0x followed by 64 hexadecimal characters. Solana signatures are longer and use a different character set. If what you've been given is short, has dashes or looks like an order number, it probably isn't a blockchain hash.

Transaction hash vs wallet address

A wallet address is a destination that can receive many transactions over time. A transaction hash identifies one specific transfer. Searching an address in an explorer shows its whole history. Searching a hash shows just that one transaction. Both are public, but support usually needs the hash to find your payment quickly.

Why support asks for it

With the hash, support can check whether the funds were actually sent, whether they've confirmed, whether they went to the right address and network, and whether the amount matches. Without it, they have to search by time and amount, which is slow and sometimes impossible.

Where to find it

Wallets show it in the transaction details. Exchanges list it in withdrawal history once the transfer has been broadcast. Some faucets show it on their payout page. If there's no hash yet, the platform hasn't sent the transaction, or it was never a blockchain transaction in the first place.

Some payments never have one

Payments inside one platform don't touch the blockchain. When a faucet pays you through FaucetPay, the credit appears in your FaucetPay history with no blockchain hash, because it's an internal transfer. A hash only appears later, when you withdraw from FaucetPay to an outside wallet. The same goes for transfers between two accounts on one exchange.

What it can prove, and what it can't

A hash proves a blockchain transaction happened and shows where it went. It doesn't prove an exchange credited your account, because the exchange may still be waiting for confirmations, a memo or tag, or a manual review. It also can't prove anything about a payment that never reached the blockchain.

What to save with it

A hash on its own can be ambiguous, so keep it with the details that identify the transfer.

• The transaction hash.
• The network.
• The coin.
• The amount.
• The destination address.
• The date and time.

Don't share recovery details along with it

A transaction hash is public and safe to share with support. Your seed phrase, private key, passwords and 2FA codes are not, and no genuine support agent needs them to look up a transaction. Anyone asking for those while 'investigating a hash' is trying to take your wallet.

Decision rule

If a payout is missing, find the transaction hash before guessing what went wrong. No hash means ask the sender. A hash means check it on the right explorer.

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