Electrum vs Electrum ABC.
One holds Bitcoin. The other holds eCash. Pick by the coin you want to send.
| Electrum | Electrum ABC | |
|---|---|---|
| Coin | Bitcoin (BTC) | eCash (XEC) |
| Address prefix | bc1… / 1… / 3… | ecash:… |
| Network | Bitcoin | eCash |
| Project | BTC-focused wallet project | Electrum LLC |
| License | MIT | MIT |
| Installer | electrum.org | electrum-abc.org |
History, in one paragraph
The Electrum codebase originated as a Bitcoin desktop wallet. When the eCash network branched off from the Bitcoin Cash lineage, the wallet was forked too — keeping the UI and signing flow, but speaking the eCash protocol. The two are sibling projects today, not the same software.
Which one for which coin
Need to send or receive BTC? Use Electrum. Need to send or receive XEC? Use Electrum ABC. There is no overlap — sending the wrong coin to the wrong wallet's address is a permanent loss.
I downloaded the wrong one — what now?
If you haven't created a wallet yet, install the right one and move on. If you already have coins sitting in the wrong wallet, the safest path is to install the correct wallet, generate a fresh seed inside it, and send the funds on-chain to your new address. See Restore from seed for the general restore flow.
Can I send Bitcoin to an Electrum ABC wallet?+
No. Electrum ABC speaks the eCash protocol, not Bitcoin. Sending BTC to an ecash: address — or to any Electrum ABC address — destroys the funds. They cannot be recovered. Use the Electrum Bitcoin wallet for BTC; use Electrum ABC only for XEC.
How do I send Bitcoin from Electrum to Electrum ABC?+
You don't — it's the wrong direction. BTC and XEC are different blockchains. To move value between them, sell BTC for XEC on an exchange (Binance, Coinbase, KuCoin) and withdraw the XEC to your Electrum ABC address.
Are Electrum and Electrum ABC the same project?+
No. They share a common UI lineage and codebase history, but they are separate projects today, maintained by different teams, for different coins. Electrum is for Bitcoin (BTC). Electrum ABC is for eCash (XEC).
Can Electrum ABC hold Bitcoin?+
No. Electrum ABC speaks only the eCash protocol. Sending BTC to an Electrum ABC address will result in loss.
Can the Electrum Bitcoin wallet hold XEC?+
No. The Electrum Bitcoin wallet speaks only Bitcoin. Sending XEC to a Bitcoin Electrum address will result in loss.
I installed the wrong one — what now?+
If you haven't sent any funds yet, simply uninstall and install the right wallet for your coin. If you already received the wrong coin into the wrong wallet, the safest fix is to install the correct wallet, generate a fresh seed, and send the funds on-chain to your new address.
Keep reading.
- Download the real Electrum ABC
Don't send XEC to a Bitcoin wallet — get the right one.
- What is eCash (XEC)?
Understand the coin Electrum ABC actually holds.
- Bitcoin ABC, explained
The full node behind the wallet.
- More Electrum vs Electrum ABC answers
Read the wallet FAQ.
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