What does a Monero address look like?

A standard Monero address starts with '4' and is 95 characters long, e.g., '4AdUndXHHZ6cfufTMvppY6JwXNouMBzSkbLYfpAV5Usx3skxNgYeYTRJ2H...'. Subaddresses start with '8' and are also 95 characters. Integrated addresses start with '4' and are 106 characters (they embed a payment ID).

What is a Monero subaddress?

A subaddress is a secondary address derived from your primary address. It starts with '8' instead of '4'. You can generate unlimited subaddresses from one wallet. They're unlinkable — nobody can tell they belong to the same wallet. Best practice: use a new subaddress for each sender or transaction.

Should I use my primary address or a subaddress?

Almost always use a subaddress. Generate a fresh one for each person or purpose. Your primary address (starting with '4') should be kept private — sharing it widely makes it easier for someone to link payments. Subaddresses (starting with '8') are designed exactly for this: one per counterparty.

What is an integrated address in Monero?

An integrated address combines a standard address with a payment ID in a single 106-character string. They were useful for exchanges to identify deposits. However, they're now deprecated in favor of subaddresses, which are simpler and more private. Most modern wallets discourage integrated addresses.

Can someone find my identity from my Monero address?

The address itself reveals nothing about your identity. However, if you share the same address across multiple platforms, observers could link those activities. This is why subaddresses exist — use a different one everywhere. Combined with stealth addresses (automatic in every transaction), Monero addresses provide strong privacy.

Monero Address Types — Standard, Subaddress, Integrated

TL;DR: Monero has three address types. Standard (primary) starts with 4, 95 chars — your wallet's main address, keep it private. Subaddress starts with 8, 95 chars — generate unlimited, use one per sender. Integrated starts with 4, 106 chars — deprecated, use subaddresses instead. Best practice: always give out subaddresses, never your primary.

The Three Types

4...

Standard (Primary) Address

95 characters. Starts with "4". One per wallet. Derived from your spend key. Keep it private — sharing widely lets observers link payments.

8...

Subaddress

95 characters. Starts with "8". Unlimited per wallet. Unlinkable to each other and to your primary. Best practice for all receiving.

4...+ID

Integrated Address

106 characters. Starts with "4". Embeds a payment ID. Deprecated since 2019. Use subaddresses instead.

Address Examples

Standard (Primary) Address — 95 characters

4AdUndXHHZ6cfufTMvppY6JwXNouMBzSkbLYfpAV5Usx3skxNgYeYTRJ2H1bB2qGHLieTjKN5dFZECmAj4bM8JJvJq7ME

Subaddress — 95 characters (starts with 8)

8BcrwHKwMdmPLPExU3SpGJeHfQmcDKsF4TH2nDYU8Z29t2vbDKfpXR6PCfBaQz1Lpk9PX7WRJsQVq8dXJZTFQmmCzRCqk4B

Integrated Address — 106 characters (standard + payment ID)

4GYjoMG9Y2BBUKAxLxv3UWb3ciEbSr8MqMjMGKEef3GhjMGLJHHEEbSLadxgKveF2J4M4RBHFsiG46KP9LPEq2t2tBmLqNeZRRjUNTV93eRT9w54HbGjsGYRSKqJC1adA

Quick Reference

Property	Standard	Subaddress	Integrated
Prefix	`4`	`8`	`4`
Length	95 chars	95 chars	106 chars
Per Wallet	1 (fixed)	Unlimited	Unlimited
Contains Payment ID	No	No	Yes (8 bytes)
Linkable to Primary	N/A (is primary)	No (unlinkable)	Yes (derived from it)
Status (2026)	Active	Recommended	Deprecated
Best For	Mining pool payouts	All receiving	Nothing (legacy)

Why Subaddresses Are Best Practice

Subaddresses solve two problems:

Unlinkability: Nobody can tell two subaddresses belong to the same wallet. If you give address A to Alice and address B to Bob, they can't collaborate to determine those addresses are yours.
Organization: Label each subaddress by purpose — "P2P Trade March", "Mining Payout", "Donation". Your wallet tracks which subaddress received what.

Without subaddresses, you'd reuse your primary address everywhere. Anyone who sees your address on two platforms could link your activity. Subaddresses eliminate this risk at zero cost.

See our full subaddress guide for details.

Stealth Addresses: The Hidden Layer

Regardless of which address type you share, Monero uses stealth addresses for every transaction. When someone sends XMR to your address, the actual on-chain destination is a one-time stealth address — not your public address. This means:

The blockchain never contains your actual address
Two transactions to the same address produce different stealth addresses
Only your private view key can link a transaction to your address

Subaddresses add privacy at the sharing level. Stealth addresses add privacy at the blockchain level. Together, they make Monero addresses exceptionally private.

Don't Use Integrated Addresses

Integrated addresses were designed for exchanges to identify depositors via embedded payment IDs. Since 2019, the Monero community has deprecated them in favor of subaddresses. Modern wallets discourage or hide integrated address creation. If a service asks for a "payment ID" — they're using outdated infrastructure. Most exchanges have switched to subaddresses.

Best Practices

For receiving: Always generate a fresh subaddress (starts with 8)
For mining: Primary address is OK (mining pools require it)
For P2P trading: New subaddress per trade partner
Never: Share your primary address publicly
Never: Use integrated addresses (use subaddresses instead)

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