A wallet can show “sent” while an exchange still shows no incoming funds. These two screens describe different stages of the same transfer. Use the glossary below as a map: identify the asset, verify the network and destination, locate the transaction by its transaction ID, then check whether the exchange has enough information and confirmations to credit the order.
The essential glossary
- Asset
- Exact meaning: The cryptocurrency being transferred, such as BTC, ETH or USDT. In simple terms: It is what you are sending. Where it appears: In the sending wallet, exchange order and deposit instructions. What it affects: The selected asset must match the asset requested by the exchange; selecting USDT when an order expects ETH creates a different transfer rather than an ETH deposit.
- Coin
- Exact meaning: A native asset of its own blockchain, such as BTC on Bitcoin or ETH on Ethereum. In simple terms: The coin belongs to the network itself. Where it appears: In wallet balances and network-fee information. What it affects: Native coins are normally used to pay transaction fees on their respective networks.
- Token
- Exact meaning: An asset issued through a protocol or smart contract on an existing blockchain rather than operating its own independent blockchain. In simple terms: A token travels on another network. Where it appears: In wallet token lists, contract details and deposit instructions. What it affects: USDT exists on multiple blockchain protocols, so “USDT” alone does not identify the route used for a transfer. The sender must also match the network supported for that particular deposit. Tether’s official integration guidance tells platforms to state clearly which protocols they support. [1]
- Blockchain
- Exact meaning: The distributed record in which valid transactions are grouped into blocks and linked in an ordered history. In simple terms: It is the public transaction record maintained by the network. Where it appears: Through blockchain explorers, wallet status messages and block data. What it affects: The exchange can only detect an on-chain transfer after it has been broadcast to the relevant blockchain and can be associated with the expected deposit details.
- Network
- Exact meaning: The blockchain environment and protocol used to move an asset. In simple terms: It is the route taken by the transfer. Where it appears: In withdrawal forms, deposit instructions and explorer names. What it affects: The sending and receiving sides must use the same supported network. A familiar-looking address is not proof that the route is correct; addresses can be ambiguous across different chains, which is why network selection must be checked separately. [2]
- Receiving address
- Exact meaning: The blockchain destination specified for a transfer. In simple terms: It tells the network where to send the funds. Where it appears: In the exchange’s deposit instructions, the wallet’s recipient field and the explorer’s destination data. What it affects: The address must be copied exactly from the active order or deposit page. Blockchain transfers are generally not reversible by a central support team after they have been sent to the wrong destination. [3]
- Memo or Tag
- Exact meaning: An additional destination identifier required by some services and networks to assign a shared blockchain address to a particular customer or order. In simple terms: The address may identify the platform, while the Memo or Tag identifies your deposit inside that platform. Where it appears: Beside the receiving address when the destination requires it. What it affects: If the deposit instructions provide a Memo or Tag, omitting it or entering the wrong value can prevent automatic crediting even when the transaction reached the displayed address. Do not invent one when none is requested.
- Transaction
- Exact meaning: A signed instruction submitted to a blockchain, such as an instruction to transfer an asset from one address to another. In simple terms: It is the actual on-chain movement. Where it appears: In the wallet history and blockchain explorer. What it affects: An exchange order does not prove that a blockchain transaction was created. The wallet must sign and broadcast the transfer before the network can process it.
- TXID or transaction hash
- Exact meaning: The unique identifier generated for a submitted blockchain transaction. In simple terms: It is the tracking number for the transfer. Where it appears: In the withdrawal history, wallet details and blockchain explorer. What it affects: A valid TXID allows the sender and exchange support to inspect the actual destination, asset movement, network status and block inclusion. Ethereum’s transaction lifecycle begins with generation of a transaction hash before the transaction enters the network’s pending pool. [4]
- Pending transaction
- Exact meaning: A transaction that has been broadcast but has not yet received the required block inclusion or processing status. In simple terms: The network knows about it, but the transfer is not settled enough for the exchange. Where it appears: In wallet history or an explorer’s transaction status. What it affects: The exchange may wait because a pending transaction can still be delayed, replaced, rejected or otherwise fail to produce the expected confirmed result.
- Network fee
- Exact meaning: The amount paid for blockchain participants to process a transaction. On Ethereum, computation is measured in gas and the transaction fee is paid for that processing. In simple terms: It is the cost of submitting the transfer to the network. Where it appears: In the sending wallet and transaction details. What it affects: Fee settings can influence how quickly a pending transaction is selected for inclusion, but paying a network fee does not guarantee that an exchange will immediately credit an order. [4]
- Gas
- Exact meaning: Ethereum’s unit for measuring the computation required to execute a transaction or smart-contract operation. In simple terms: Gas measures the work the Ethereum network must perform. Where it appears: In Ethereum wallet estimates and explorer transaction data. What it affects: ETH and Ethereum-based token transfers require sufficient fee capacity. Gas is not the amount of ETH or USDT being delivered to the exchange, and it is not an exchange service charge. [4]
- Confirmation
- Exact meaning: Evidence that a transaction has been included in a block, followed by additional accepted blocks or stronger network finality. In simple terms: Confirmations show that the transaction has moved beyond the initial broadcast stage. Where it appears: In a blockchain explorer and sometimes in wallet details. What it affects: An exchange may require its own confirmation threshold before crediting a deposit. Bitcoin transaction data includes a confirmation count, while Ethereum distinguishes block inclusion from later justified and finalized states. [5]
- Exchange order
- Exact meaning: The service-side request containing the selected direction, asset, amount or other operational details. In simple terms: It tells the exchange what transaction it should expect. Where it appears: On the order page and in the order status. What it affects: A valid blockchain transfer may still require matching to the correct active order, address, network and any additional identifier. Order status and blockchain status therefore need to be checked separately.
Connection map: how detection actually happens
The useful sequence is:
Asset → network → destination details → signed transaction → TXID → block inclusion → confirmations → exchange matching → credited order
- Object: You select the asset to send. BTC, ETH and USDT are not interchangeable. USDT also needs a network selection because it is issued on more than one blockchain protocol. [1]
- Network or environment: The wallet sends the asset through the chosen blockchain. That network must match the one stated in the exchange’s current deposit instructions.
- Action: The wallet signs the transaction and broadcasts it. A withdrawal marked “created” or “processing” by the sending platform may not yet have been broadcast.
- Confirmation: Network participants include the transaction in a valid block. Ethereum documentation describes a transaction as successful after a validator selects and includes it in a block, with later finality providing stronger certainty. [4]
- Verifiable result: An explorer should show the expected asset, network, receiving address, amount and transaction status. The exchange then compares that on-chain result with its order records and applies its required confirmation and compliance checks.
This explains why “my wallet says sent” and “the exchange has not detected it” can both be true. The wallet may be reporting that it accepted the withdrawal request, signed the transaction or broadcast it. The exchange is waiting for a later, independently verifiable stage.
Why the transfer may still be missing
There is no TXID yet
If the sending wallet or platform has not produced a TXID, there may be nothing publicly visible on the blockchain. The withdrawal could still be in an internal queue, awaiting authorization or undergoing the sender’s own checks. In that situation, a blockchain explorer cannot confirm the transfer because an on-chain identifier is not yet available.
Check the withdrawal record rather than relying only on the reduced wallet balance. If the sending service controls the withdrawal process, questions about a missing TXID belong with that service.
The transaction is pending
A transaction with a TXID can exist without being included in a block. On Ethereum, submitted transactions enter a pool until a validator selects them. [4] A Bitcoin explorer may likewise show an unconfirmed transaction before its confirmation count increases.
Do not create a second transfer merely because the first one is slow. First inspect the original TXID and follow the sending wallet’s documented process for a pending transaction. Sending again can produce two separate payments.
The transaction has too few confirmations
Block inclusion does not always trigger immediate crediting. Services choose confirmation requirements according to the asset, network, transaction conditions and operational risk. There is no single confirmation number that applies to every exchange, asset or transfer.
The relevant comparison is between the explorer’s current status and the requirement shown for the order. If the service does not display a threshold, provide the TXID to support rather than guessing how many confirmations it expects.
The asset arrived through the wrong network
This is especially relevant to USDT. A sender can choose the correct token name while selecting a network that the receiving exchange does not support for that order. The blockchain may then show a successful transaction, but the expected deposit system will not see it on the network it monitors.
Do not attempt another transfer until the asset, protocol and destination instructions have been compared character by character. Recovery from a wrong-network transfer may be technically difficult or unavailable. Never assume that identical address formatting means that two networks are interchangeable.
The address, Memo or Tag does not match
A wrong address sends the transaction to a different blockchain destination. A missing or incorrect Memo or Tag can send it to the platform’s address without giving the platform enough information to assign it automatically.
Preserve the order details, TXID and sending-wallet record. Do not share a seed phrase or private key with anyone claiming they need it to identify the deposit. Legitimate transaction investigation uses public transaction data and account-specific verification, not the secret credentials that control a wallet.
The transfer is visible, but the order is not credited
If the explorer shows the correct destination and a sufficiently settled transaction, the delay may be on the service side. Possible stages include deposit scanning, order matching, wallet maintenance or checks associated with the particular operation. Verification requirements can vary by exchange direction and by the result of compliance screening, so current requirements should be checked before an order is created.
For a practical exchange attempt, first check the currently available asset and network for the order, then copy the newly displayed deposit details. The service supports assets including BTC, ETH and USDT, but that does not mean every network, pair or exchange direction is available at all times.
Do not confuse these terms
Transaction and exchange order
A transaction exists on a blockchain; an order exists in the exchange’s internal system. Creating an order does not send cryptocurrency, and creating a transaction does not guarantee that it matches the intended order.
Practical consequence: Check both identifiers. The order number helps the exchange locate the request, while the TXID proves what happened on-chain.
Asset and network
The asset is what you send; the network is where the transfer occurs. “USDT” identifies the token, not the complete deposit route.
Practical consequence: Matching the asset while ignoring the network can produce a confirmed transaction that the selected deposit route cannot detect.
Coin and token
BTC and ETH are native coins of their respective blockchains. USDT is a token available through multiple supported protocols. [1]
Practical consequence: A token transfer may involve both the token balance and the network’s native coin for fees. A wallet showing enough USDT does not necessarily mean it has what is needed to pay the network fee.
Network fee and exchange fee
A network fee pays for blockchain processing. An exchange fee, if applicable to the chosen operation, is set under the service’s own terms.
Practical consequence: A completed network-fee payment proves only that the transaction was submitted and processed under network rules. It does not prove that the exchange order was matched or that every service-side condition was met.
Pending and confirmed
Pending means the transaction is waiting for block inclusion or completion. Confirmed means it has entered an accepted block, although an exchange may still require additional confirmation or finality.
Practical consequence: A visible pending transaction is not the same as a completed deposit. Its TXID is useful for tracking, but its status must still advance.
TXID and receiving address
The address identifies a destination; the TXID identifies one particular transaction. An address can have many incoming and outgoing transactions.
Practical consequence: Sending only an address to support forces them to search through unrelated activity. The TXID points to the exact transfer that needs investigation.
Seed phrase, private key and transaction proof
A seed phrase can restore control over a wallet, and a private key can authorize transactions from a specific account. Neither is a receipt that support needs to inspect a deposit.
Practical consequence: Sharing either secret can allow another person to control funds. Use the public TXID as evidence instead, and treat requests for wallet secrets as a phishing warning.
How to read the wallet and blockchain explorer
Interfaces differ, so focus on the meaning of the data rather than expecting a particular button or field layout.
- In the sending wallet: Find the asset name, selected network, recipient, amount, withdrawal status and TXID. Distinguish an internal request identifier from the public blockchain transaction hash.
- In the explorer: Search for the TXID on an explorer built for the network actually used. Explorer transaction pages commonly expose the transaction hash, block information, sender, receiver, status and fee-related data. [6]
- For a token transfer: Check the token movement, not only the native-coin value. A USDT token transfer may appear in token-transfer data while the transaction’s native value is zero or unrelated to the token amount.
- For confirmation: Look for block inclusion, confirmation count or the network’s equivalent status. Avoid treating “found by explorer” as automatically meaning “ready for exchange credit.”
- Against the order: Compare the full receiving address, network, asset and any required Memo or Tag. Do not compare only the first and last few characters when investigating a problem.
A practical checklist before contacting support
- Confirm that the sending service has issued a real blockchain TXID.
- Open the appropriate explorer for the network used and locate that TXID.
- Check whether the transaction is pending, failed or included in a block.
- Verify the transferred asset, token details and amount.
- Compare the destination address with the address issued for the exchange order.
- Confirm that the selected network was supported for that asset and order.
- Check any Memo or Tag if the deposit instructions required one.
- Compare the explorer’s confirmation status with the exchange’s stated requirement.
- Keep the order identifier and TXID ready for support.
If there is no TXID, begin with the sender. If the TXID is pending, monitor the network status and use only remedies documented by the wallet or sending platform. If the transaction is confirmed but its network or destination differs from the order, stop sending additional funds and report the exact mismatch. When every on-chain detail matches, provide the exchange with the order identifier and TXID so it can investigate the crediting stage without needing access to your wallet secrets.
