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AML check on Bitcoin Cash

Bitcoin Cash (BCH) split from Bitcoin in 2017. Its addresses usually start with bitcoincash:q or p, but older 'legacy' ones look exactly like Bitcoin addresses.

Address formatCashAddr: bitcoincash:q… or p… (42 characters after the prefix) · legacy 1… / 3… look like Bitcoin addressesbitcoincash:qsz9h4p2egn228hl4f04sg2pjk6sed2n4u5h0g7edgExample for illustration, not a real address.
Note

If you are given a BCH address starting with 1 or 3, it is in the same format as a Bitcoin address, so confirm with the recipient which network they expect before sending. Tether no longer issues or redeems USDT on Bitcoin Cash (SLP) as of 1 September 2025.

Services that check Bitcoin Cash

01ChainalysisEnterprise platformPrice on requestSupportedNot scored
02EllipticEnterprise platformPrice on requestSupportedNot scored
03Crystal IntelligenceEnterprise platformPrice on requestSupportedNot scored
04TRM LabsEnterprise platformPrice on requestSupportedNot scored
05ShardUse with careWeb app290 ₽ for 10 checks, down to 15 ₽ a check in a 1,000-check packSupported8.1
06MistTrackWeb appAPI from $0.20 per checkSupported7.9
07Quppy AML BotUse with careTelegram bot5 USDT for 11 checks, down to 0.23 USDT a checkSupported7.5
08AnChain.AI Data APIAPI for businessAddress score $0.08–$0.10 in credit packs from $1,000Supported6.1
09GetBlock Crypto AMLWeb appFrom about $0.50 a check, prepaid creditsSupported6.1
10Scorechain BotTelegram botPay per use, prices not publishedSupportedNot scored
11Merkle ScienceEnterprise platformPrice on requestSupportedNot scored
12Sumsub Crypto MonitoringEnterprise platformPrice on requestSupportedNot scored
13BitraceAPI for businessPrice on requestNot verifiedNot scored
14Scorechain AIWeb app€75 for 35 credits, down to €1.00 a checkNot verifiedNot scored
15AMLBotTelegram botPrices shown after sign-upNot verifiedNot scored

How to check a Bitcoin Cash address

  1. Get the public addressAsk your counterparty for the address they will send from — or copy it from the incoming transaction.
  2. Pick a service that covers Bitcoin CashChoose one marked “Supported” in the list above. If your checker only accepts legacy 1… or 3… addresses, make sure Bitcoin Cash (not Bitcoin) is selected as the network, because the same legacy string is a valid address format on both chains.
  3. Run the check and read itSanctions lists can record BCH addresses in either format (OFAC has listed both a 1… and a q… BCH address), so prefer a checker that matches an address in both its legacy and CashAddr forms.
A real AML check needs only a public address. Never share a seed phrase or private key.

Bitcoin Cash specifics

  • Bitcoin Cash split from Bitcoin in a planned hard fork that activated on 1 August 2017 (12:20 UTC), and its first block after the split had to be larger than Bitcoin's 1 MB limit.[1]
  • Like Bitcoin, BCH uses the UTXO model: every transaction spends specific earlier 'unspent transaction outputs' and creates new ones.[2]
  • Legacy BCH addresses start with 1 or 3, the same format Bitcoin uses; the BCH protocol reference strongly recommends the CashAddr format instead because it prevents confusion with Bitcoin addresses.[3]
  • BCH supports native tokens called CashTokens (both fungible tokens and NFTs), introduced in the 15 May 2023 network upgrade; wallets that can receive tokens use 'token-aware' addresses starting with z or r.[4]
  • Tether stopped issuing and redeeming USDT on Bitcoin Cash SLP from 1 September 2025; existing tokens can still be moved between wallets but are no longer officially supported, and Tether said it would not freeze the contracts.[5]
  • On 15 April 2021 the US Treasury's sanctions office (OFAC) added two entities, SecondEye Solution (also known as Forwarderz) and SouthFront, to its sanctions list together with BCH addresses: one legacy-format (18M8bJWMzWHDBMxoLqjHHAffdRy4SrzkfB) and one CashAddr (qpf2cphc5dkuclkqur7lhj2yuqq9pk3hmukle77vhq). This was part of a Russia-related action whose entries also cite cyber and election-interference sanctions programs.[6]
  • US prosecutors said James Zhong, who stole about 50,000 bitcoin from the Silk Road darknet market in 2012, received a matching 50,000 BCH at the August 2017 fork, then exchanged all of it through an overseas exchange for about 3,500 additional bitcoin of crime proceeds.[7]

Common risks on Bitcoin Cash

SanctionsHighAddresses on government sanctions lists or owned by listed entities.Stolen fundsHighCoins taken in hacks of exchanges, protocols or personal wallets.Darknet marketHighMarketplaces for illegal goods reachable only through anonymity networks.Enforcement actionHighEntities under active legal proceedings or seizure orders.

FAQ

Why does my BCH address look like a Bitcoin address?

Bitcoin Cash split from Bitcoin in August 2017 and kept Bitcoin's original 'legacy' address format, which starts with 1 or 3. The newer CashAddr format (bitcoincash:q… or p…) was introduced for BCH, and the Bitcoin Cash protocol reference recommends it because it prevents confusion with Bitcoin addresses.

Do I need to include the 'bitcoincash:' part?

The CashAddr specification allows the 'bitcoincash:' prefix to be left off when an address is displayed, because the prefix is already built into the address's checksum. The part starting with q or p stays the same either way.

Can I use USDT or USDC on Bitcoin Cash?

Tether stopped issuing and redeeming USDT on Bitcoin Cash SLP from 1 September 2025; existing tokens can still be moved between wallets but are no longer officially supported. Bitcoin Cash is not on Circle's list of networks with native USDC.

How do I check a Bitcoin Cash address for AML risk?

Copy the public address, open one of the services listed above that supports Bitcoin Cash, and run the check. You never need a seed phrase or private key.

What does “Not verified” mean?

The service claims support somewhere — in marketing copy or a third-party page — but its own docs, pricing or FAQ do not list the network. Treat it as unknown.

Sources

  1. bitcoincash.org specification repository (GitHub) — UAHF Technical Specification (v1.6) (24 Jul 2017). Checked 4 Oct 2026.
  2. reference.cash (Bitcoin Cash protocol reference) — Transaction – Bitcoin Cash Protocol Documentation. Checked 4 Oct 2026.
  3. reference.cash (Bitcoin Cash protocol reference) — Base58Check encoding (legacy addresses) – Bitcoin Cash Protocol Documentation. Checked 4 Oct 2026.
  4. CashTokens specification repository (GitHub) — CHIP-2022-02-CashTokens: Token Primitives for Bitcoin Cash (v2.2.2) (20 May 2023). Checked 4 Oct 2026.
  5. Tether — Tether Provides Update on Transition Plan for Legacy Blockchains (29 Aug 2025). Checked 4 Oct 2026.
  6. U.S. Department of the Treasury, Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) — Issuance of Executive Order Blocking Property With Respect To Specified Harmful Foreign Activities Of The Government Of The Russian Federation; Russia-related Designations (15 Apr 2021). Checked 4 Oct 2026.
  7. U.S. Attorney's Office, Southern District of New York (republished by IRS Criminal Investigation) — Historic $3.36 billion cryptocurrency seizure and conviction in connection with Silk Road Dark Web fraud (7 Nov 2022). Checked 4 Oct 2026.