Comparison
TRC20 vs ERC20
TRC20 and ERC20 are token standards on two different networks. They look alike to a user, with a token, an address and a fee, but the address, the fee and the network are not interchangeable.
TRC20 and ERC20 side by side
| Fact | TRC20 | ERC20 |
|---|---|---|
| Networks Unheld lists | Tron | Ethereum, Base and Polygon PoS |
| Tokens Unheld lists | USDT | USDC and USDT |
| Address format | 34 characters, starting with T | 0x followed by 40 hexadecimal characters |
| How the fee works | Bandwidth and energy; the coin is burned when an account has too little | Gas, paid in the network’s own coin |
| Fee paid in | TRX | ETH and POL |
| Confirmations Unheld waits for | Tron (19) | Ethereum (12), Base (12) and Polygon PoS (12) |
The same token can use different decimals and a different confirmation depth on another network. Take both figures from the row you invoice on.
Which one should you use?
Neither is better. The standard is decided by the network your customer holds the token on, so offer the network that matches where your customers already keep their money, and let each invoice name it.
TRC20 vs ERC20 questions
Is USDT on Tron the same as USDT on Ethereum?
USDT exists on both networks, but each network keeps its own balance. A balance on one is not a balance on the other, and the two use different address formats.
Can TRC20 and ERC20 addresses be used interchangeably?
Not safely. The address formats differ, and a transfer that reaches a network the invoice did not name may not be recoverable.
Which of the two does Unheld support?
Both: USDT on Tron; and USDC and USDT on Ethereum, USDC on Base and USDC on Polygon PoS. Each page lists its own rows.
Sources
Every figure on this page comes from one of these documents. Each was read on the date shown rather than recalled.