What is BEP20 in crypto?

BEP20 is the standard that tokens on BNB Smart Chain follow. It sets the rules for how a token is created, transferred, approved and tracked, much like ERC-20 does on Ethereum. If you see "BEP20" on an exchange withdrawal screen, it refers to the BNB Smart Chain network.

What is the BEP20 network?

Strictly speaking, BEP20 is a token standard, not a network. Exchanges use the label as shorthand for BNB Smart Chain, often shortened to BSC. Binance's support guide lists BEP20 as BSC, which it notes was formerly called Binance Smart Chain, next to ERC20 for Ethereum and TRC20 for TRON.

According to BNB Chain's documentation, BEP20 tokens must support the same core functions as ERC-20 tokens, including totalSupply, balanceOf, transfer, approve, allowance and transferFrom. The standard also adds a getOwner function. Transactions on BSC need BNB to pay gas, the same way Ethereum transactions need ETH. Learn about the coin itself in what BNB is.

What is the difference between BEP20 and ERC20?

The two standards share almost the same code design, which is why BNB Chain calls BEP20 an extension of ERC-20. The real difference is the chain. An ERC-20 token lives on Ethereum and pays fees in ETH. A BEP20 token lives on BNB Smart Chain and pays fees in BNB. BNB Chain's docs present BEP20 as having lower fees and faster transactions. For the Ethereum side, see what an ERC-20 token is.

What is a BEP20 wallet address?

A BEP20 wallet address is a 0x address, a string that starts with 0x followed by 40 hexadecimal characters. It looks exactly like an Ethereum address, and a wallet using the same private key controls the same address on both chains. That is convenient but risky. Edge's support team describes users who withdrew from Binance on the BSC option to an Ethereum address, and the tokens arrived on BNB Smart Chain instead. Recovering them meant adding BSC to a wallet (chain ID 56), buying BNB for gas and bridging the tokens back.

Binance warns that if you pick the wrong network, funds might be lost for good. Its guidance is to choose the network the receiving platform supports, not the one with the lowest fee.

What is BEP20 USDT?

BEP20 USDT is USDT as it circulates on BNB Smart Chain. Token trackers describe it as a bridged version of Tether's USDT, matched by USDT locked on other chains, with its own contract address on BSC. It is not interchangeable at the address level with USDT on Ethereum or TRON. Our guide to USDT TRC20 vs ERC20 explains why the network label matters, and the same logic applies to BEP20. Always confirm that the sender and receiver both support BEP20 before moving funds, as of November 2026 and later.