<h2>Addresses</h2>
<blockquote>
<p>if someone sends bitcoin to my old address, does that get lost</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Addresses never expire. Money can be sent to them more than once although this affects your privacy.</p>
<p>Most wallets generate a new address for each transaction. They do this to protect your financial privacy. This isn't a case of your wallet address <em>changing</em>, it is a case of the wallet creating an <em>additional</em> address each time you indicate you want to receive money from someone. So nowadays there isn't a wallet-address as such because wallets have <em>many</em> addresses, not just one.</p>
<hr />
<h2>Wallet-IDs</h2>
<blockquote>
<p>What is the significance of the wallet id</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Wallet-ID is not a general Bitcoin data item, it is not used in the Bitcoin network and is not used by mainstream wallets. So far as I know wallet-ID is only used by one commercial business, the one that operated the blockchain.info website that I think has been replaced by the blockchain.com website.</p>
<p>So Wallet-ID is proprietary and not anything to do with the Bitcoin network or the original design of Bitcoin or most Bitcoin wallets.</p>
<p>According to <a href="https://www.blockchain.com/learning-portal/wallet-faq" rel="nofollow noreferrer">https://www.blockchain.com/learning-portal/wallet-faq</a></p>
<blockquote>
<p>To log into your wallet you need your Wallet ID, your password, and any two-factor authentication that you have enabled. Your Wallet ID is a string of random letters and numbers that acts as a username. You can find it by navigating to the ‘General’ section of your Settings menu. Although it looks similar to an address, your Wallet ID cannot be used to send or request funds.</p>
</blockquote>
<hr />
<h2>Wallet deletion</h2>
<blockquote>
<p>can't recall if I deleted wallets and recreated them.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>If you deleted any normal, non-custodial, wallet, all money in the deleted wallet is lost when you deleted it. More exactly, you deleted the secret number that is stored in the wallet and which is needed when spending money. You deleted the secret number that gave you control over money.</p>
<p>With a normal wallet you would be able to recreate the deleted wallet from one of your regular wallet backups or from the recovery-phrase (AKA seed-phrase) you wrote down on paper (or stamped into metal) and stored in a fire-proof safe in a relative's house or similar locations. That way you recover control over money in the deleted wallet.</p>
<p>With a custodial wallet, you are completely dependent on what your chosen custodian is willing to do.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-08-02T10:24:19.793Z
So on blockchain.com I made an account with my email address etc and had a wallet. That wallet, well its id and address, aren't present, but a different one now is. If bitcoin goes to the first wallet address, would I still see it in the current wallet?
user135906
CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-08-02T10:26:54.347Z
You should ask Blockchain support. If you have a new wallet with a different Wallet-ID it might not know about money sent to addresses created by the old wallet that had a different Wallet-ID. This is yet another reason why I don't like the wallets provided by Blockchain.com. See [types of wallet](https://bitcoin.stackexchange.com/q/81240/13866) especially custodial vs non-custodial. "Account" implies custodial (bad in my book)
RedGrittyBrick
CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-08-02T10:06:45.747Z
2022-08-02T10:48:11.257Z
2022-08-02T10:48:11.257Z
RedGrittyBrick
<p>No funds are lost but I have a question around my bitcoin wallet setup.</p>
<p>I am due some funds soon and I gave my address/wallet id (I guess address is the main thing). However, since then my wallet id and address has changed. I am not sure why or how but I did read that with transactions, the wallet address changes, and can't recall if I deleted wallets and recreated them.</p>
<p>Anyway, my question is, if someone sends bitcoin to my old address, does that get lost or would I still see it in my current wallet? What is the significance of the wallet id in this too?</p>
<p>Thanks</p>

<wallet>
If my wallet address changes, do I still get funds from old wallets?
user135906
# If my wallet address changes, do I still get funds from old wallets?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2022-08-02)

No funds are lost but I have a question around my bitcoin wallet setup.

I am due some funds soon and I gave my address/wallet id (I guess address is the main thing). However, since then my wallet id and address has changed. I am not sure why or how but I did read that with transactions, the wallet address changes, and can't recall if I deleted wallets and recreated them.

Anyway, my question is, if someone sends bitcoin to my old address, does that get lost or would I still see it in my current wallet? What is the significance of the wallet id in this too?

Thanks

**Tags:** wallet


---

## 1 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2022-08-02. Score: 1

## Addresses

> if someone sends bitcoin to my old address, does that get lost

Addresses never expire. Money can be sent to them more than once although this affects your privacy.

Most wallets generate a new address for each transaction. They do this to protect your financial privacy. This isn't a case of your wallet address *changing*, it is a case of the wallet creating an *additional* address each time you indicate you want to receive money from someone. So nowadays there isn't a wallet-address as such because wallets have *many* addresses, not just one.

---

## Wallet-IDs

> What is the significance of the wallet id

Wallet-ID is not a general Bitcoin data item, it is not used in the Bitcoin network and is not used by mainstream wallets. So far as I know wallet-ID is only used by one commercial business, the one that operated the blockchain.info website that I think has been replaced by the blockchain.com website.

So Wallet-ID is proprietary and not anything to do with the Bitcoin network or the original design of Bitcoin or most Bitcoin wallets.

According to <https://www.blockchain.com/learning-portal/wallet-faq>

> To log into your wallet you need your Wallet ID, your password, and any two-factor authentication that you have enabled. Your Wallet ID is a string of random letters and numbers that acts as a username. You can find it by navigating to the ‘General’ section of your Settings menu. Although it looks similar to an address, your Wallet ID cannot be used to send or request funds.

---

## Wallet deletion

> can't recall if I deleted wallets and recreated them.

If you deleted any normal, non-custodial, wallet, all money in the deleted wallet is lost when you deleted it. More exactly, you deleted the secret number that is stored in the wallet and which is needed when spending money. You deleted the secret number that gave you control over money.

With a normal wallet you would be able to recreate the deleted wallet from one of your regular wallet backups or from the recovery-phrase (AKA seed-phrase) you wrote down on paper (or stamped into metal) and stored in a fire-proof safe in a relative's house or similar locations. That way you recover control over money in the deleted wallet.

With a custodial wallet, you are completely dependent on what your chosen custodian is willing to do.

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: So on blockchain.com I made an account with my email address etc and had a wallet. That wallet, well its id and address, aren't present, but a different one now is. If bitcoin goes to the first wallet address, would I still see it in the current wallet?  
> **username_1**: You should ask Blockchain support. If you have a new wallet with a different Wallet-ID it might not know about money sent to addresses created by the old wallet that had a different Wallet-ID. This is yet another reason why I don't like the wallets provided by Blockchain.com. See [types of wallet](https://bitcoin.stackexchange.com/q/81240/13866) especially custodial vs non-custodial. "Account" implies custodial (bad in my book)  

---

