<p>Check out <a href="http://www.btcans.org/" rel="nofollow">btcans.org</a>.</p>

<p>The BTCANS allows you to register an account and post associate a payment address with it. You can hand out your payment BTCANS address and other users can query your payment address by entering q.btcans.org/your-id-here into their browser. </p>

<p>The difference between btcans.org and an address shortener is that you can change your address at any time.  Subsequent queries will return the updated payment address.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2011-09-02T01:49:33.223Z
2011-09-02T01:49:33.223Z
RLH
<p>It might be worth looking at <a href="https://paynym.is" rel="nofollow noreferrer">https://paynym.is</a> too, which is used by SamouraiWallet.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-03-02T00:50:52.790Z
2019-03-02T00:50:52.790Z
leshik
<p>onename is a good service for this, it uses the Namecoin blockchain so you can easily lookup the data without the onename website too.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-02-24T17:14:35.153Z
2015-02-24T17:14:35.153Z
George
<p>There is a fairly new service that links your public BTC address to your twitter username <a href="https://twitter.com/jfgi" rel="nofollow noreferrer">twitter.com/jfgi</a> as well as a <a href="https://wordpress.org/plugins/bitcoin-address-shortener-by-jfgi-cc/" rel="nofollow noreferrer">WordPress plugin</a> that turns your domain.name/btc into a short Bitcoin address .</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-02-24T19:40:16.400Z
2019-02-24T19:40:16.400Z
rafiq
<p>Here are a few tips to help you distribute your addresses on a more readable form:</p>

<ul>
<li><a href="http://firstbits.net/" rel="nofollow">Firstbits.net</a> shortens your address to (usually) less than 7 characters. To get the full address just enter the firstbits at the website (ex: <a href="http://firstbits.net/?a=1kk5k" rel="nofollow">http://firstbits.net/?a=1kk5k</a>)</li>
<li>Use <a href="https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=25804.0" rel="nofollow">vanity generator</a> to create a more customized address. You can try to create an address that has your name on it or any other word that you like. Bear in mind that this will still be a long address with many 'strange' characters (ex: 1stDownqyMHHqnDPRSfiZ5GXJ8Gk9dbjL)</li>
<li>If you use an e-wallet service, there are usually shortcodes that allow users to transfer bitcoins instantaneously between users. You can only use this if the other person uses the same e-wallet as you (ex: check <a href="http://www.flexcoin.com" rel="nofollow">Flexcoin</a>, <a href="http://www.tradehill.com" rel="nofollow">TradeHill</a> or <a href="http://www.campbx.com" rel="nofollow">CampBX</a>)</li>
<li>If you want to print your address into a business card, I suggest using <a href="http://qrcode.kaywa.com/" rel="nofollow">QR Codes</a>. They can easily be scanned with a smart phone.</li>
</ul>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2012-02-15T08:29:53.513Z
Firstbits and similar methods are dangerous, because they are vulnerable to typos.
o0'.
CC BY-SA 3.0
2012-08-17T22:34:37.480Z
Some wallet services (read: at least one, blockchain.info) have support for firstbits built in. If you enter a firstbits address, it will send the bitcoins to the relevant actual address.
Daniel H
CC BY-SA 3.0
2012-08-17T22:39:14.040Z
@wump It'll be nice when you can get an NFC chip embedded in your skin which you can control. Until then, I recommend bumping your phone against the other person's phone, not the other person.
Daniel H
CC BY-SA 3.0
2011-08-31T19:33:55.393Z
Payb.tc shortens your address too
Codler
CC BY-SA 3.0
2011-09-01T05:31:04.617Z
It's also worth noting that combining the first two suggestions can create short vanity names - for example, my nick on the forum is "enmaku" and if you enter "1enmaku" into firstbits, you'll find my address. Firstbits makes any address shorter and easier to remember, but if your firstbits address IS your name, nick, email, etc. it's even easier.
David Perry
CC BY-SA 3.0
2011-09-01T11:18:21.090Z
And it should be pointed out that firstbits doesn't have its own database. It's just reporting to you information from the Bitcoin block chain. Anyone can calculate the correct firstbits for a Bitcoin address just by looking at the block chain.
David Schwartz
CC BY-SA 3.0
2011-09-01T11:23:06.760Z
+1 for mentioning QR codes. I don't think bitcoin addresses should ever be typed. NFC is also nice, one of the Android wallets supports this, just tap your phone against the person you want to exchange address with and voila.
laanwj
CC BY-SA 3.0
2011-09-01T15:56:42.517Z
@David Schwartz That's a good point. It also means that you can't use Firstbits with addresses that were never used before to send/receive bitcoins.
nmat
CC BY-SA 3.0
2011-09-01T22:27:15.593Z
Wolfram Alpha now will generate QR Codes. Example given here: http://www.bitcoinmoney.com/post/9678390130
Stephen Gornick
CC BY-SA 3.0
2011-08-31T18:32:23.313Z
2015-02-24T02:44:14.980Z
2015-02-24T02:44:14.980Z
nmat
<p>I see that Bitcoin addresses have built in checksums that <a href="https://bitcoin.stackexchange.com/questions/194/i-think-i-made-a-typo-what-do-i-do-now">helps prevent typos</a> (ie. it is highly unlikely that you can mistype a Bitcoin address and have it still be valid). However, I still think the addresses are too long to easily give to someone, publish on a business card, etc. Is there any way to shorten addresses or get specific addresses?</p>

<address>
Is there an easy way to give people a Bitcoin address?
lemonginger
# Is there an easy way to give people a Bitcoin address?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2011-08-31)

I see that Bitcoin addresses have built in checksums that [helps prevent typos](https://bitcoin.stackexchange.com/questions/194/i-think-i-made-a-typo-what-do-i-do-now) (ie. it is highly unlikely that you can mistype a Bitcoin address and have it still be valid). However, I still think the addresses are too long to easily give to someone, publish on a business card, etc. Is there any way to shorten addresses or get specific addresses?

**Tags:** address


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## 5 answers

### Answer by username_5 on 2011-08-31. Score: 18 | Accepted answer

Here are a few tips to help you distribute your addresses on a more readable form:

* [Firstbits.net](http://firstbits.net/) shortens your address to (usually) less than 7 characters. To get the full address just enter the firstbits at the website (ex: <http://firstbits.net/?a=1kk5k>)
* Use [vanity generator](https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=25804.0) to create a more customized address. You can try to create an address that has your name on it or any other word that you like. Bear in mind that this will still be a long address with many 'strange' characters (ex: 1stDownqyMHHqnDPRSfiZ5GXJ8Gk9dbjL)
* If you use an e-wallet service, there are usually shortcodes that allow users to transfer bitcoins instantaneously between users. You can only use this if the other person uses the same e-wallet as you (ex: check [Flexcoin](http://www.flexcoin.com), [TradeHill](http://www.tradehill.com) or [CampBX](http://www.campbx.com))
* If you want to print your address into a business card, I suggest using [QR Codes](http://qrcode.kaywa.com/). They can easily be scanned with a smart phone.

> **Comments:**
> **username_8**: Payb.tc shortens your address too  
> **username_9**: It's also worth noting that combining the first two suggestions can create short vanity names - for example, my nick on the forum is "enmaku" and if you enter "1enmaku" into firstbits, you'll find my address. Firstbits makes any address shorter and easier to remember, but if your firstbits address IS your name, nick, email, etc. it's even easier.  
> **username_10**: And it should be pointed out that firstbits doesn't have its own database. It's just reporting to you information from the Bitcoin block chain. Anyone can calculate the correct firstbits for a Bitcoin address just by looking at the block chain.  
> **username_11**: +1 for mentioning QR codes. I don't think bitcoin addresses should ever be typed. NFC is also nice, one of the Android wallets supports this, just tap your phone against the person you want to exchange address with and voila.  
> **username_5**: @username_10 That's a good point. It also means that you can't use Firstbits with addresses that were never used before to send/receive bitcoins.  
> **username_12**: Wolfram Alpha now will generate QR Codes. Example given here: http://www.bitcoinmoney.com/post/9678390130  
> **username_6**: Firstbits and similar methods are dangerous, because they are vulnerable to typos.  
> **username_7**: Some wallet services (read: at least one, blockchain.info) have support for firstbits built in. If you enter a firstbits address, it will send the bitcoins to the relevant actual address.  
> **username_7**: @wump It'll be nice when you can get an NFC chip embedded in your skin which you can control. Until then, I recommend bumping your phone against the other person's phone, not the other person.  

---

### Answer by username_1 on 2011-09-02. Score: 1

Check out [btcans.org](http://www.btcans.org/).

The BTCANS allows you to register an account and post associate a payment address with it. You can hand out your payment BTCANS address and other users can query your payment address by entering q.btcans.org/your-id-here into their browser.

The difference between btcans.org and an address shortener is that you can change your address at any time. Subsequent queries will return the updated payment address.


---

### Answer by username_2 on 2019-03-02. Score: 1

It might be worth looking at <https://paynym.is> too, which is used by SamouraiWallet.


---

### Answer by username_3 on 2015-02-24. Score: 0

onename is a good service for this, it uses the Namecoin blockchain so you can easily lookup the data without the onename website too.


---

### Answer by username_4 on 2019-02-24. Score: 0

There is a fairly new service that links your public BTC address to your twitter username [twitter.com/jfgi](https://twitter.com/jfgi) as well as a [WordPress plugin](https://wordpress.org/plugins/bitcoin-address-shortener-by-jfgi-cc/) that turns your domain.name/btc into a short Bitcoin address .


---

