<blockquote>
<p><strong>i read that it is dangerous</strong></p>
</blockquote>
<p>You seem to have misread.</p>
<p>The accepted answer states that it <em>would be</em>, not that it is.</p>
<p>Having different prefixes for addresses in the different networks  makes it less likely that someone accidentally mistakes valueless test &quot;money&quot; for real money or vice versa expensively.</p>
<hr />
<ul>
<li><a href="https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=5146108.0" rel="nofollow noreferrer">https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=5146108.0</a></li>
</ul>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2024-01-25T11:27:40.877Z
2024-01-25T11:27:40.877Z
RedGrittyBrick
<p>I think the reason why it is dangerous for a Bitcoin regtest address to have 1 as its prefix is because it could be confused with a mainnet address. A mainnet address is an address that is used on the real Bitcoin network, where transactions have real value and are irreversible. If someone accidentally sends real bitcoins to a regtest address that starts with 1, they would lose their money forever. Regtest addresses are meant for testing purposes only, and they should have a different prefix to avoid such mistakes.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2024-01-26T08:50:19.350Z
2024-01-26T08:50:19.350Z
diceyt
<p>I think Bitcoin regtest addresses should have a different prefix than testnet addresses, to avoid confusion and potential mistakes. Regtest addresses are used for local testing and development, while testnet addresses in cryptex are used for global testing and experimentation. If they both start with the same prefix, it is easy to mix them up and send coins to the wrong network. This could result in loss of funds or security issues. A distinct prefix would make it clear which network the address belongs to, and prevent such errors. I suggest using the prefix bcrt for regtest addresses, as proposed by BIP01731. This would make them compatible with bech addresses, which use bc, tb, and bcrt prefixes for mainnet, testnet, and regtest respectively.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2024-01-25T14:29:29.253Z
2024-01-25T14:29:29.253Z
drew kart
<p>I don’t think it is bad for a Bitcoin regtest address to have 1 as its prefix, as long as you are aware of the difference between regtest and testnet. Regtest addresses are the same as testnet addresses, except they use a private network for local testing. You can use any prefix you want for regtest, as long as it is valid for testnet. However, you should never use regtest addresses on the mainnet, as they will not work and you may lose your funds.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2024-01-25T15:11:27.623Z
2024-01-25T15:11:27.623Z
jagert6
<p>From the link below i read that it is dangerous for a Bitcoin regtest address to have 1 as it's prefix can someone explain why
The link :
<a href="https://bitcoin.stackexchange.com/questions/98978/address-starting-with-2-what-mode-i-am-in">Address starting with 2, what mode I am in?</a></p>

<bitcoind><client><bitcoin-cli><testnet><regtest>
Is it bad for a Bitcoin regtest address to have 1 as it's prefix
Dev Tenji
# Is it bad for a Bitcoin regtest address to have 1 as it's prefix

(Asked by: username_0 on 2024-01-24)

From the link below i read that it is dangerous for a Bitcoin regtest address to have 1 as it's prefix can someone explain why
The link :
[Address starting with 2, what mode I am in?](https://bitcoin.stackexchange.com/questions/98978/address-starting-with-2-what-mode-i-am-in)

**Tags:** bitcoind, client, bitcoin-cli, testnet, regtest


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## 4 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2024-01-25. Score: 1

> **i read that it is dangerous**

You seem to have misread.

The accepted answer states that it *would be*, not that it is.

Having different prefixes for addresses in the different networks makes it less likely that someone accidentally mistakes valueless test "money" for real money or vice versa expensively.

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* <https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=5146108.0>


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### Answer by username_2 on 2024-01-26. Score: 0

I think the reason why it is dangerous for a Bitcoin regtest address to have 1 as its prefix is because it could be confused with a mainnet address. A mainnet address is an address that is used on the real Bitcoin network, where transactions have real value and are irreversible. If someone accidentally sends real bitcoins to a regtest address that starts with 1, they would lose their money forever. Regtest addresses are meant for testing purposes only, and they should have a different prefix to avoid such mistakes.


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### Answer by username_3 on 2024-01-25. Score: -1

I think Bitcoin regtest addresses should have a different prefix than testnet addresses, to avoid confusion and potential mistakes. Regtest addresses are used for local testing and development, while testnet addresses in cryptex are used for global testing and experimentation. If they both start with the same prefix, it is easy to mix them up and send coins to the wrong network. This could result in loss of funds or security issues. A distinct prefix would make it clear which network the address belongs to, and prevent such errors. I suggest using the prefix bcrt for regtest addresses, as proposed by BIP01731. This would make them compatible with bech addresses, which use bc, tb, and bcrt prefixes for mainnet, testnet, and regtest respectively.


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### Answer by username_4 on 2024-01-25. Score: -2

I don’t think it is bad for a Bitcoin regtest address to have 1 as its prefix, as long as you are aware of the difference between regtest and testnet. Regtest addresses are the same as testnet addresses, except they use a private network for local testing. You can use any prefix you want for regtest, as long as it is valid for testnet. However, you should never use regtest addresses on the mainnet, as they will not work and you may lose your funds.


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