How to Send Bitcoin: A Step-by-Step Guide

How to Send Bitcoin

Sending bitcoin is one of the most fundamental things you can do with it. Whether you’re paying a friend, transferring between your own wallets, or making a purchase, the process is straightforward once you understand how to send bitcoin and the few key concepts involved.

At its core, sending bitcoin means creating a transaction that moves a specified amount from your address to someone else’s address. This guide walks you through the process step by step.

What You Need Before Sending

Before you send bitcoin, make sure you have:

1. A Bitcoin wallet — Either a software wallet (app on your phone or computer) or a hardware wallet. See Bitcoin Wallets Explained for details.
2. Bitcoin in your wallet — You need enough to cover both the amount you’re sending and the transaction fee.
3. The recipient’s Bitcoin address — A string of letters and numbers that identifies their wallet. It typically starts with 1, 3, or bc1.

Step-by-Step: Sending Bitcoin

Step 1: Open Your Wallet

Open the Bitcoin wallet you’re sending from. This could be a mobile app (like BlueWallet or Muun), a desktop wallet, a hardware wallet (like a Ledger or Trezor), or the withdrawal feature on an exchange.

Step 2: Select “Send”

Every wallet has a “Send” button or option. Tap or click it to start a new transaction.

Step 3: Enter the Recipient’s Address

You’ll need the recipient’s Bitcoin address. There are two ways to enter it:

• Scan a QR code — If the recipient shows you a QR code, your wallet can scan it with your phone’s camera. This is the safest method because it eliminates typing errors.
• Copy and paste — If you received the address digitally (via text, email, etc.), copy and paste it into the address field. Never type a Bitcoin address manually — one wrong character sends your bitcoin to the wrong place or makes the transaction invalid.

Critical: Always double-check the first and last few characters of the pasted address match what the recipient sent you. Some malware can swap addresses in your clipboard.

Step 4: Enter the Amount

Enter how much bitcoin you want to send. Most wallets let you enter the amount in BTC or in your local currency (USD, EUR, etc.) — the wallet handles the conversion.

Step 5: Set the Transaction Fee

Your wallet will suggest a transaction fee. This fee goes to miners who process your transaction — it does not go to the recipient or to any company.

Fees are based on transaction size (in data bytes, not bitcoin amount) and current network demand:

Fee Level	Typical Confirmation Time	When to Use
High priority	~10–20 minutes (next 1–2 blocks)	Time-sensitive payments
Medium priority	~30–60 minutes	Normal transfers
Low priority	Hours to days	Non-urgent transfers, moving between your own wallets

Most wallets offer a slider or preset options (fast, medium, slow). During busy periods, fees increase because more people are competing for limited block space.

Tip: If you’re not in a rush — for example, transferring bitcoin to your own hardware wallet — choose a lower fee. There’s no penalty for a slower confirmation; the bitcoin will arrive eventually.

Step 6: Review and Confirm

Before hitting “Send,” verify:

• Recipient address — Does it match exactly?
• Amount — Is it correct?
• Fee — Does it match your urgency?

Once you confirm, the transaction is broadcast to the Bitcoin network. Bitcoin transactions are irreversible. There is no “undo” button, no customer support to call, and no chargeback. Double-check everything.

Step 7: Wait for Confirmation

After sending, your transaction enters the mempool — a waiting area of unconfirmed transactions. Miners pick up transactions from the mempool and include them in blocks.

• 1 confirmation — Your transaction has been included in a block. This is sufficient for most small transactions.
• 3 confirmations — A common threshold for medium-value transactions.
• 6 confirmations — The traditional standard for high-value transactions. At this point, the transaction is considered practically irreversible.

Each confirmation is a new block added on top of the block containing your transaction. With blocks arriving roughly every 10 minutes, 6 confirmations takes about an hour.

Sending from an Exchange vs. a Wallet

The process differs slightly depending on where your bitcoin is:

From an Exchange (Coinbase, Kraken, etc.)

1. Navigate to the “Withdraw” or “Send” section
2. Select Bitcoin as the asset
3. Enter the recipient’s address
4. Enter the amount
5. The exchange typically sets the fee for you
6. Confirm (you may need to complete two-factor authentication and/or email confirmation)

Exchanges sometimes batch withdrawals, meaning your transaction may not be broadcast immediately. This can add a delay of minutes to hours.

From Your Own Wallet

You have full control over the transaction, including the fee amount. The process is as described in the step-by-step guide above. Transactions are usually broadcast immediately.

Understanding Transaction Fees

Transaction fees can be confusing because they don’t work like bank fees. Here’s what to know:

• Fees are based on data size, not the amount sent. Sending $10 worth of bitcoin costs the same in fees as sending $10,000, assuming the transactions are the same data size.
• Fees go to miners. They compensate miners for including your transaction in a block.
• Fees fluctuate with demand. When the network is busy, fees rise. When it’s quiet, fees drop. You can check current average fees at sites like mempool.space.
• You choose the fee. Higher fees get faster confirmation. Lower fees are cheaper but take longer.

During normal network conditions, a standard transaction fee typically ranges from $0.50 to $5. During high-demand periods, fees can spike to $20 or more.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Sending to the Wrong Address

Bitcoin transactions are irreversible. If you send bitcoin to an incorrect address, there’s no way to get it back. Always double-check the address, especially the first and last characters.

Sending to the Wrong Network

Bitcoin (BTC) addresses are not compatible with other cryptocurrency networks. Don’t send bitcoin to an Ethereum address, a Litecoin address, or any other network’s address. Your bitcoin will be lost. Make sure the address format is correct (starting with 1, 3, or bc1 for Bitcoin).

Setting the Fee Too Low

If you set an extremely low fee during a busy period, your transaction may stay unconfirmed in the mempool for a long time — potentially days. Most wallets offer a “Replace-By-Fee” (RBF) option that lets you increase the fee on an unconfirmed transaction to speed it up.

Not Accounting for the Fee

Remember that the transaction fee comes out of your balance in addition to the amount you’re sending. If you try to send your entire balance without leaving room for the fee, the transaction will fail. Most wallets handle this automatically, but it’s worth knowing.

Falling for Scams

Never send bitcoin to someone who promises to “double your bitcoin” or claims you need to “verify your wallet” by sending them funds. These are scams. Legitimate organizations will never ask you to send bitcoin to prove you own it.

A Quick Note on the Lightning Network

The Lightning Network is a second layer built on top of Bitcoin that enables faster, cheaper transactions. While regular Bitcoin transactions take about 10 minutes to confirm and cost a variable fee, Lightning transactions are nearly instant and cost fractions of a penny.

Lightning is ideal for small, everyday payments. It’s supported by a growing number of wallets and apps. However, it requires a Lightning-compatible wallet and works differently from regular on-chain transactions. For a plain-language walkthrough, see Bitcoin Lightning Network Explained.

Key Takeaways

1. To send bitcoin, you need a wallet, bitcoin, and the recipient’s address
2. Always scan a QR code or copy-paste addresses — never type them manually
3. Transaction fees go to miners and are based on data size, not the amount sent
4. Transactions are irreversible — double-check the address and amount before confirming
5. One confirmation (~10 minutes) is sufficient for small transactions; six confirmations (~1 hour) is the standard for large amounts
6. The Lightning Network offers a faster, cheaper alternative for small payments

Related Guides

• Bitcoin Wallets Explained — Choose the right wallet for sending and receiving
• How to Buy Bitcoin — Get bitcoin so you have something to send
• How to Store Bitcoin Safely — Keep your bitcoin secure before and after sending