Contract address

A contract address is a string of randomly-generated letters and numbers that enable users to trace smart contract activity.

Conventions

Ethereum and all EVM-compatible chains use 0x prefixes (indicating a hexadecimal format).

Solana uses Base58 encoding.

Harmony uses the "one" prefix.

Uses

Contract addresses can be cross-referenced to the blockchain specific block explorer to verify activity. For example, we can see that Ethereum user 0xngmi bridged some 500 USDC tokens via Hopper bridge using etherscan. Contract addresses are a fundamental part of what makes DeFi so transparent and verifiable. The ability to simply check how many dollars Ukraine has received to their wallet via smart contracts is what separates DeFi from the traditional finance world.