Why Tokens Sent to Smart Contract Addresses Cannot Be Recovered?

On Ethereum, there are two types of accounts:

1. Externally Owned Accounts (EOAs)
   • Controlled by private keys (typical wallet addresses).
   • Consist of a public and private key pair.
   • Users can directly initiate transactions.
2. Contract Accounts
   • Controlled by smart contract code and storage, not private keys.
   • The address is known as the contract address.

From their appearance, it’s almost impossible to distinguish a wallet address from a contract address. As a result, many users mistakenly transfer tokens to contract addresses that don’t have private keys.

What happens if tokens are sent to a contract address?

• Once tokens are transferred to a contract address, they usually cannot be recovered.
• Only if the contract’s code explicitly allows withdrawals can the tokens potentially be retrieved.
• Most contract accounts are simply programs without the ability to “manually” send tokens back.

What should you do if this happens?

• Contact the team behind the smart contract to confirm whether recovery is possible.
• Note: KuCoin Web3 Wallet is a decentralized, non-custodial wallet. We cannot interfere with blockchain transactions or reverse transfers you’ve already made.
• If you are unsure where your tokens went, you can check your transaction record on a block explorer to confirm the final receiving address.