Short answer
If you sent crypto to the wrong network or address, what can be done depends on who controls the address it landed at. If it’s your own wallet on a compatible network, you can usually reach it. If it’s an exchange, only that exchange’s support can try, sometimes for a fee and never with a guarantee. If it’s a stranger’s address, only the stranger can send it back.
On this page
At a glance
- Reversible by the senderNo. Coinbase calls on-chain sends irreversible; Kraken says crypto transactions are not reversible
- Your own wallet, other EVM networkUsually reachable; MetaMask says your recovery phrase gives the same address on all EVM-compatible networks
- Exchange deposit, missing tag or unsupported token or networkKraken may recover; fees from the network fee up to $500; no guarantee
- Wrong network into CoinbaseCoinbase says it cannot recover funds sent on an incorrect network
- Stranger’s addressOnly if the recipient sends it back
- Anyone offering to “recover” it for a feeTreat as a scam; the FBI has warned about fake recovery firms since 2023
Sources: Kraken: Crypto assets deposit recovery · Kraken: Cryptocurrency funding FAQ · MetaMask: I sent crypto to the wrong place · Coinbase: Assets on multiple networks · Checked on September 27, 2026
First: is it confirmed yet?
Open the transaction in your wallet or the network’s block explorer. If it is still pending and you sent it from your own wallet, MetaMask says you may be able to speed it up or cancel it while it remains unconfirmed. On Kraken, a withdrawal can be cancelled while it is “Initiated”, and sometimes while “Pending”, but not once it has been broadcast to the blockchain. Once a transaction is confirmed, it can’t be pulled back; the rest of this page is about what happens next.
Also check that the funds really are misplaced. MetaMask notes that a wallet sometimes just doesn’t display a token it received, and Kraken lists “deposit not credited” as a case with no user mistake at all, which it fixes for free.
Case by case
| What happened | Who can act | What the platforms say |
|---|---|---|
| Sent to your own wallet address, but on another EVM-compatible network (for example Polygon instead of Ethereum) | You | Recoverable: switch the wallet to that network and the tokens are there; bridge them if needed (MetaMask) |
| Sent on Ethereum to an address that belongs to a non-EVM network wallet | Nobody, usually | “Likely unrecoverable”: the tokens went to a different address that will most likely never be accessed (MetaMask) |
| Deposit to an exchange with a missing or wrong memo or tag | The receiving exchange | Kraken: recovery for the network fee, credited or refunded |
| Supported network, but a token the exchange doesn’t list | The receiving exchange | Kraken: $200 recovery fee, refund; not guaranteed |
| Unlisted token on a network the exchange doesn’t support | The receiving exchange | Kraken: $500 recovery fee, refund; “one of the most complex to recover”; not guaranteed |
| Wrong network into Coinbase | Coinbase | Coinbase: cannot recover funds sent or received on an incorrect network |
| Deposit below the exchange’s minimum | — | Kraken: marked Failed and permanently lost, even if you top it up later |
| Another coin sent to a Cash App bitcoin address (for example Bitcoin Cash) | — | Cash App: results in permanent loss of funds |
| A valid address that belongs to someone else | The owner of that address | Only if they send it back; addresses are pseudonymous, so this is often not possible (MetaMask, bitcoin.org) |
| A smart contract address | Maybe the project team | No guarantee; the contract may not handle incoming tokens (MetaMask) |
Sources: Kraken: Crypto assets deposit recovery (last updated September 22, 2025) · Kraken: Deposit fees and minimums · MetaMask: I sent crypto to the wrong place · Coinbase: Assets on multiple networks · Cash App: Lightning · Checked on September 27, 2026
Kraken’s fees are its own; other exchanges set their own policies. Kraken also says fees can change with the complexity of the case, are communicated before it starts, and that some cases can’t be recovered because of blockchain limitations. Its funding FAQ adds that deposits sent on unsupported networks are likely non-recoverable.
What to do now
Timeline
- Right awaycopy the transaction ID (TxID), the address you sent to, the network, the asset, the amount and the time
- Same daycontact the support team of the platform that received the funds, through its official app or website, with those details
- Alsotell the platform you sent from; as Coinbase and Kraken say, it can’t reverse an on-chain send, but Kraken, for one, points you to the receiving exchange’s support
- If a person received itask them to send it back in a new transaction
- If it was a scamreport it to the FTC, the FBI’s IC3 and the platform you used
- Outcomea refund or credit if the receiving platform recovers it; otherwise the funds stay where they landed
Sources: Kraken: Crypto assets deposit recovery · Kraken: Cryptocurrency funding FAQ · FTC: What to know about cryptocurrency and scams · Checked on September 27, 2026
Be ready to supply screenshots or other documents; Kraken says it may ask. Kraken says the recovery timeframe depends on the complexity of the issue, and that high-value or manual recoveries may take longer.
When it cannot be undone
Bitcoin.org says there is no central authority to reverse a mistake and that a bitcoin transaction can only be refunded by the person who received it. The FTC says that once you pay with crypto, you can get money back only if the person you paid sends it back. If your funds went to a stranger’s address, a scammer, or an address no one controls, no exchange, developer or agency can move them for you. The FBI warns that people in exactly this position are targeted a second time by fake recovery offers.
Warning
Fake recovery services target people who just lost crypto. The FBI has warned since 2023 about companies claiming to trace and recover lost crypto for an upfront fee, and about fake “law firms” doing the same. In July 2026 it warned that scammers impersonate the FBI’s IC3 on social media and claim to have recovered victims’ funds. The FBI says IC3 will never ask for payment to recover lost funds or refer you to a company that does, and law enforcement doesn’t charge victims to investigate. MetaMask says it will never contact you directly or ask for your recovery phrase. Check IC3 PSA, July 20, 2026 · IC3 PSA, June 24, 2024 · Checked on September 27, 2026
Never give anyone your recovery phrase or private keys to “help”. Never pay a fee to get crypto back. Get help only from the official support channels of the platforms involved.
Where to report
- FTC: ReportFraud.ftc.gov
- FBI: ic3.gov (the real site; IC3 has no social media presence, per the FBI)
- CFTC: CFTC.gov/complaint
- SEC: sec.gov/tcr
- The exchange or app you used to send the money
These are the channels the FTC lists for crypto fraud. A report does not reverse a transfer.
Preventing the next one
The cases above come down to four details: address, network, memo and minimum. Our checklist is in how to send crypto; for stablecoins, which exist on many networks at once, see stablecoin transfer. A small test send costs one network fee (see crypto network fees); make sure it clears the receiving platform’s minimum.
This page explains what platforms say they can and can’t do. It is not legal or financial advice.
