Why Do Tokens with the Same Name Have Multiple Contract Addresses?
Tokens with the same name have multiple contract addresses because each chain, each bridge, and even each project team can deploy its own version under the same name. The blockchain identifies tokens by their contract address as the unique identifier, not by the name.
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Why Token Names Are Unreliable
The ERC20 token contract defines the token name and symbol, but these two fields have no uniqueness constraints. Anyone can deploy a smart contract and name their token "USDT" or "WETH" — no official authorization is needed.
There are already over 300,000 different ERC20 tokens on Ethereum, and tokens sharing the same name are commonplace. A significant portion of these identical-name tokens are scams.
In 2018, imToken tried adding numerical suffixes to distinguish tokens with the same name (e.g., TFT1, TFT2), but later abandoned this approach — because a token's contract address is the only true identifier.
Four Common Scenarios for Multiple Addresses with the Same Name
Scenario 1: The Same Project on Different Chains Deploys Independent Contracts
USDC is a classic example. Circle deploys a separate USDC contract on each supported public chain — on Ethereum it starts with 0xA0b86991, on Arbitrum 0xaf88d065, on Base 0x833589, and on Polygon PoS 0x3c499c.
Under the same "USDC" name, there are different contract addresses on different chains. The addresses differ, but they represent the same asset issued by the same entity.
Scenario 2: Coexistence of Native Assets and Their Wrapped Versions
The relationship between WETH and ETH is the classic case. ETH is Ethereum's native asset and does not comply with the ERC20 standard, so DeFi protocols cannot use ETH directly. WETH is an ERC20 version created by locking ETH in a smart contract and minting WETH 1:1. Users can "deposit" ETH to mint WETH and "withdraw" to get ETH back.
Scenario 3: Same-Source Assets Issued by Different Bridges
On a single chain, USDC may exist as both the version natively issued by Circle and a wrapped version minted through third-party bridges (such as Multichain or Celer). Both are called USDC, but they have different contract addresses and different underlying security. Circle's native USDC is redeemable for US dollars, while the bridged version relies on the security of the bridge.
Scenario 4: Malicious Phishing with Counterfeit Tokens
Malicious actors deliberately deploy fake contracts using the names of well-known tokens. If users only look at the token name and ignore the contract address when making transfers, they might send real funds into a fake contract, resulting in asset loss.
How to Correctly Distinguish Tokens with the Same Name
Step 1: Find the Official Contract Address
Go to the project's official documentation, official website, or authoritative platforms like CoinGecko to look up the contract address. Circle's developer documentation provides a complete list of official USDC addresses. It's not recommended to take addresses from social media or group chat messages — they could be phishing links.
Step 2: Search by Contract Address, Not by Name
When you search "USDT" in wallets like imToken, you'll see a list of tokens with the same name. If you search by contract address instead, you'll only see the one unique match. Searching the contract address on block explorers like Etherscan shows data such as transaction volume, number of holders, and whether the contract is verified — this information helps you determine whether it is the "real" token.
Step 3: Compare with Listing Information on Aggregators like CoinGecko
Using CoinGecko as an example, you can check data like the token's initial listing date, circulating market cap, and trading volume. If a token with the same name cannot be found on these platforms, or if the information doesn't match what the official source says, be cautious.
What counts as completed: You can confirm that the token's contract address in your possession matches the one officially announced, and you can see normal transaction records for that contract on a block explorer.
Common Reasons for Failure
Failure reason: Choosing the wrong chain's contract address when depositing to a centralized exchange.
USDT is a classic high-risk scenario. The contract addresses and receiving address formats of ERC20 USDT, TRC20 USDT, and BEP-20 USDT are completely different. If you select the wrong network when withdrawing, your funds will go to the wrong address and are usually unrecoverable.
Risk Warnings
Same-name tokens aren't necessarily from the same project: Two tokens both abbreviated as WXT — WEEX Token and Wirex Token — have completely different contract addresses, market caps, and listing times. There have been 24 fund transfers mistakenly sent to the wrong address.
Wallets may not display all same-name tokens by default: Many wallets only show tokens for which you hold a balance. If you hold USDC received via a bridge on a certain chain, but the chain's Circle native USDC contract is different from the bridged USDC contract, the wallet may show only one of them. You need to manually add the other contract address to see your full holdings.
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How to Confirm Completion
Enter the contract address you intend to transfer to on a block explorer, and verify that the contract information (name, symbol, total supply) matches the official announcement and that transaction records are normal. When making a transfer, it's also recommended to verify the contract type of the receiving address on the block explorer first to avoid accidentally sending tokens to a contract address and losing them.
Next step: When adding a new token to your wallet, make it a habit to "enter the contract address" rather than "enter the token name." Store frequently used official contract addresses in a secure place (such as encrypted notes or offline text) and verify them every time before making a transfer.
