Litecoin, Cardano, TON and Other Coins: Converting Before You Donate
Many popular coins run on their own blockchains: Litecoin, Cardano, Toncoin, Polkadot, Avalanche, Stellar, Bitcoin Cash and more. None of them can be sent directly to our addresses, so the usual route is an exchange. This guide covers how that works, the memos and address mix-ups specific to these coins, and which ones are hard to convert.
By Global Relief Group · Last updated:
A coin with its own blockchain can only move on that blockchain. To donate it here, you need to exchange it for one of the coins we accept. That is usually a three-step job on an exchange: deposit, trade, withdraw.
The usual route: deposit, trade, withdraw
- Deposit. In your exchange, open the deposit page for your coin, choose its network, and copy the address. If the exchange shows a memo, tag or comment, you must include it when you send, or the exchange may not be able to credit you.
- Trade. Once it arrives, sell or convert it for one of our coins. For a stable value, choose USDC or USDT; for low sending fees, XRP, SOL or TRX.
- Withdraw. Withdraw the new coin to our address on the network shown on our donation screen (start from our homepage), then submit the transaction ID.
Many wallets, including Exodus, can also swap some of these coins inside the app through third-party providers. Exodus notes that swaps may include a spread as well as a network fee, so compare what you will receive with an exchange.
Coin by coin
| Coin | Addresses look like | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|
| Litecoin (LTC) | Usually start with L, M or ltc1 (some older wallets show addresses starting with 3, like bitcoin) | Similar to bitcoin in design, but a different coin: never send it to a Bitcoin address |
| Cardano (ADA) | Long addresses starting addr1 | Delegated (staked) ADA isn’t locked and can be sent; staking rewards may need withdrawing first |
| Toncoin (TON) | Long addresses, often starting EQ or UQ | Exchanges often need a comment (memo) on deposits |
| Polkadot (DOT) | Start with 1 on the main network | Unbonding staked DOT now takes about 2 days (older requests may still be on the previous 28-day schedule); exchange and pool staking can differ |
| Avalanche (AVAX) | C-Chain addresses start with 0x; X-Chain addresses start X-avax | C-Chain addresses look like Ethereum’s: never send AVAX to our ETH address |
| Stellar (XLM) | Start with G | Exchanges require a memo on deposits; missing it can make funds hard or impossible to recover |
| Hedera (HBAR) | Look like 0.0.12345 | Exchanges require a memo on deposits |
| Cosmos (ATOM) | Start with cosmos1 | Exchanges require a memo on deposits |
Which exchanges list each coin, and in which countries, changes often. Check your exchange’s deposit page for your coin before sending anything.
Bitcoin Cash isn’t bitcoin
Bitcoin Cash (BCH) split from bitcoin in 2017 and is a separate coin. Older Bitcoin Cash addresses start with 1 or 3, exactly like some Bitcoin addresses, which led to costly mix-ups; the newer CashAddr format, starting bitcoincash:, q or p, was created to prevent them. Bitcoin Cash can’t send to Bitcoin’s bc1 addresses like ours. To donate BCH, convert it to BTC or another coin we accept on an exchange first. The same applies to Bitcoin SV and to bitcoin “forks” generally.
Coins that are hard to convert
Privacy coins are the main example. Monero (XMR) has been removed by several large platforms in recent years, including Binance in February 2024 and the Exodus wallet in August 2025, and Kraken stopped offering it in the European Economic Area in October 2024. Where it is still listed, it may only trade against other coins. Very small coins with little trading face a similar problem: there may not be a buyer at a fair price. If converting means a large loss, it may be better to give a different coin.
Common questions
Can I send Litecoin to your Bitcoin address?
No. Litecoin and bitcoin are separate blockchains. A Litecoin transaction can’t pay a Bitcoin address, and most wallets will reject it. Convert the LTC to BTC first.
I forgot the memo when depositing to my exchange. What now?
Contact the exchange’s support with the transaction ID straight away. Many can credit deposits without a memo after checks, sometimes for a fee, but it isn’t guaranteed.
Is it taxable to convert my coin?
For US donors, yes: exchanging one coin for another is a disposal. See our page on swapping first versus donating directly.