Every Pearl address starts the same way, and knowing why helps you spot a wrong one before you send. This guide explains the Pearl address format: what the prl1p prefix means, how mainnet and testnet addresses differ, and which look-alike addresses will never receive native PRL.
Anatomy of a prl1p address
Pearl is built like Bitcoin and uses Taproot addresses encoded in bech32m (BIP-350). A mainnet PRL address is 63 characters long and has four parts:
| Part | Example | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Prefix (human-readable part) | prl | Pearl mainnet |
| Separator | 1 | Always the digit one |
| Witness version | p | Version 1: Taproot (P2TR) |
| Data and checksum | 58 more characters | Your 32-byte output key plus a 6-character checksum |
The checksum is what makes typos safe to catch: change one character and a wallet will reject the address instead of sending to it. Bech32m also leaves out easily confused characters (1, b, i and o never appear after the separator), and an address must be all lowercase or all uppercase, never mixed.
PRL address prefixes at a glance
| Starts with | What it is | Can it receive native PRL? |
|---|---|---|
prl1p | Pearl mainnet Taproot address | Yes. This is the normal address |
prl1z | Pearl mainnet Pay-to-Merkle-Root (witness v2) | Valid on Pearl, but many wallets cannot pay it yet |
tprl1 | Pearl testnet | Testnet coins only, worth nothing |
bc1, 1, 3 | Bitcoin | No |
0x | Ethereum and other EVM chains (where wPRL lives) | No |
| Long base58 string | Solana (where Perle lives) | No |
Why prl1p and not prl1q?
On Bitcoin you often see bc1q addresses (SegWit version 0). Pearl skipped them. Its node only relays payments to Taproot (version 1) and Pay-to-Merkle-Root (version 2) outputs, so the address you will use is prl1p. The official Pearl Wallet desktop app and Oyster both create Taproot addresses.
What about prl1z?
A prl1z address is witness version 2, which Pearl’s node source calls Pay-to-Merkle-Root (P2MR, after BIP 360). It works like Taproot without the single-key path: the coins can only be spent by satisfying one of the scripts committed to in the address. You may see these on the explorer. Oyster does not send to prl1z addresses today, and shows an error if you paste one. If someone asks you to pay one, ask for a prl1p address instead.
How to check a valid Pearl address
- It starts with
prl1p(mainnet). Anything startingtprl1is testnet. - It is 63 characters long.
- It is all lowercase (or all uppercase) and contains no
b,ioroafter the prefix. - Your wallet accepts it. A wallet checks the checksum, so a paste that is cut off or edited will fail.
- Compare the first and last several characters with the source, not just the start.
Where your address comes from
Your Pearl addresses are derived from your seed phrase using BIP-86 on the path m/86'/808276'/0' for the first account (808276 is Pearl’s coin type). Oyster and the official Pearl Wallet use the same path, so the same seed phrase produces the same addresses in both. That is why importing a Pearl seed phrase into another wallet brings your whole balance with it.
One seed can produce a large number of addresses. They all belong to you, and old ones keep working. For mining, Oyster’s miner mode gives you a single fixed payout address instead, which is easier to set once in a pool. See the mining payout wallet guide.
Addresses in Oyster
- Receive shows your address and a QR code. Ask for a set amount turns the QR into a
pearl:payment link with the amount filled in. - Send warns you if an address looks like Bitcoin, Ethereum or the wrong Pearl network, and refuses to send to it.
- Every address you pay is saved to your address book, so repeat payments do not need a fresh paste.
- If you hold wrapped PRL on Ethereum, Oyster can watch that
0xaddress read-only. It is a separate asset: sending wPRL to yourprl1paddress will not work.
If you already sent PRL and it has not shown up, the withdrawal not received checklist starts with comparing the address on the explorer. More details are in the networks and addresses docs.
Frequently asked questions
What does a Pearl (PRL) address look like?
A mainnet Pearl address is 63 characters long, starts with prl1p, and uses only lowercase letters and digits (or only uppercase). It is a bech32m Taproot address, the same format Bitcoin uses for bc1p addresses, with Pearl's own prefix.
How do I know if a Pearl address is valid?
Paste it into your wallet's send screen. Pearl addresses carry a checksum, so a wallet can tell if a character is wrong. It should start with prl1 on mainnet, and a Pearl address never starts with bc1, 0x or tprl1 (that last one is testnet).
Can I send PRL to a Bitcoin or Ethereum address?
No. Native PRL only goes to Pearl addresses on the Pearl network. A Bitcoin (bc1...) or Ethereum (0x...) address is a different chain. Oyster warns you and will not send if you paste one.
What is a prl1z address?
An address for a witness version 2 output, which Pearl's node calls Pay-to-Merkle-Root (P2MR, BIP 360). It can only be spent through a script, not a single key. They are valid on Pearl, but most wallets, including Oyster today, pay prl1p addresses only.
Does my Pearl address change?
Your wallet can create many addresses from one seed phrase, and all of them are yours. Old addresses keep working. For mining, Oyster's miner mode gives you one fixed payout address so your pool setting never needs to change.
