Addresses are the identities of a blockchain. Every wallet, token, and smart contract has one.
Two Kinds of Addresses
Externally Owned Accounts (EOAs)
Controlled by a private key — these are user wallets. An EOA can hold the native coin and tokens, and it initiates transactions.
Contract Addresses
Created when a smart contract is deployed. A contract has code, storage, and a balance, but no private key — it only acts when a transaction calls it.
You can tell them apart on an OpenScan.AI address page: contract pages show a Contract tab with source code (when verified) and read/write functions.
What’s on an Address Page?
- Balance — native coin balance and its approximate value.
- Token holdings — all ERC-20 tokens and NFTs held by the address.
- Transaction history — every transaction the address sent or received.
- Nonce — how many transactions the address has sent (EOAs).
- Contract details — creation transaction, creator address, and verified source for contracts.
Labels and Name Tags
OpenScan.AI labels well-known addresses — exchanges, bridges, token contracts, and foundation wallets — so you can recognize counterparties at a glance instead of memorizing hex strings.
Watch Out
- An address is not case-sensitive in its hex form, but checksummed addresses (mixed case) include a built-in typo check — always copy addresses exactly.
- Anyone can send tokens to any address; unexpected “airdrop” tokens in your wallet are often spam. Verify token contracts through the explorer before interacting.
Next Steps
- Tokens (ERC-20) — the assets an address can hold.
- Verified Contracts — reading contract source code on address pages.