A Shareable Link is a Bitcoin.com Wallet feature that lets you send Bitcoin Cash (BCH) as a link through any messaging app, email, or text message, without knowing the recipient's address. Whoever opens the link in the Bitcoin.com Wallet claims the funds. If they do not have the app yet, the link takes them to download it first.
That makes a Shareable Link closer to cash in an envelope than to a bank transfer. The person holding the link holds the money, so it should go only to the person you mean to pay. Until someone claims it, you can take it back.
Key Takeaways
- A Shareable Link sends BCH as a link instead of to an address. You can share it through WhatsApp, Telegram, Messenger, email, SMS, or any app that sends links.
- The recipient does not need a wallet beforehand. Opening the link prompts them to install the Bitcoin.com Wallet and then claim the funds.
- Anyone who opens the link can claim the funds, so send it privately to one person and never post it publicly unless you intend to give the money away.
- The BCH leaves your wallet when you create the link. The amount of BCH is fixed, but its value in dollars or other currencies can change before it is claimed.
- You can reclaim the funds at any time until the link is claimed, from your transaction history.
- Shareable Links currently work only with Bitcoin Cash, because its network fees are generally less than a cent, which keeps small amounts practical.
- Bitcoin.com charges no fee for sending. The Bitcoin Cash network fee still applies.
- A genuine Shareable Link opens the Bitcoin.com Wallet app and never asks for a recovery phrase. Any "claim" page that does is a scam.
What Is a Shareable Link?
Sending crypto normally starts with the recipient's address, a long string such as bitcoincash:qr... that they have to copy and send to you first. A Shareable Link reverses the order. You choose an amount, the wallet turns it into a link, and you send that link however you like.
The recipient taps it, and the Bitcoin.com Wallet opens and adds the BCH to their balance. Someone who has never used crypto can go from receiving a message to holding Bitcoin Cash in their own self-custodial wallet in a few taps, which is why the feature is mostly used to introduce friends and family to crypto, split bills, and send small gifts.
Shareable Links are exclusive to the Bitcoin.com Wallet. The sender needs the app to create one, and the recipient needs it to claim. Once claimed, the BCH is in the recipient's own wallet and can be sent anywhere, including to any other Bitcoin Cash wallet.
How Shareable Links Work
A link moves through a short lifecycle, and the status shows in the sender's transaction history.
| Stage | What happens | Can the sender reclaim? |
|---|---|---|
| Created | The BCH leaves your wallet and is set aside for the link | Yes |
| Shared | The link sits in a chat, email, or text, waiting to be opened | Yes |
| Claimed | Someone opens the link in the Bitcoin.com Wallet and the BCH arrives in their wallet | No |
| Reclaimed | You cancel the link and the BCH returns to your wallet | Not applicable |
Two consequences follow from that design.
The value can move before it is claimed. The amount of BCH in a link never changes. Its value in your local currency moves with the market, so a link worth $20 when you send it may be worth more or less by the time it is opened.
The link is the claim. The app does not check who opens the link. Whoever claims it first receives the funds, which is why the way you share it decides who ends up with the money.
Shareable Links vs Addresses and Payment Requests
"Payment link" means different things in different apps. Most of them ask someone to pay you. A Shareable Link already contains the payment.
| Shareable Link | Wallet address or QR code | Payment request link | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Created by | The sender | The recipient | The recipient |
| Contains funds? | Yes, until claimed | No | No |
| Recipient needs a wallet first? | No, they can install it when claiming | Yes | Yes, the payer does |
| If someone else sees it | They can claim the funds | No risk, since addresses are meant to be shared | Low risk, though a tampered link could show a different address |
| Can the sender undo it? | Yes, until it is claimed | No, once confirmed | No, once paid |
| Assets in the Bitcoin.com Wallet | Bitcoin Cash only | Every supported asset | Depends on the app |
A wallet address is the standard way to receive any asset, and it is safe to share publicly, as Bitcoin addresses are designed to be. Payment request links and QR codes usually follow the BIP-21 format, which bundles an address and an optional amount so the payer's wallet can fill in the details. A Shareable Link is the only one of the three that carries value.
How to Send a Shareable Link
You need Bitcoin Cash in your Bitcoin Cash wallet. If you do not have any, you can buy BCH or swap for it in the app.
- From the home screen, tap Send.
- Select Bitcoin Cash as the asset.
- Choose Shareable Link as the sending method.
- Enter the amount, in BCH or your local currency.
- Review the details, then slide the arrow to confirm.
- Choose how to share the link. The app opens your phone's share options, so you can pick WhatsApp, Telegram, email, SMS, or any other app, select the contact, and add a personal message.
If you close the share screen before sending, you can find the link later in your transaction history and copy it from there.
How to Receive a Shareable Link
- Open the message containing the link.
- Tap the link.
- If the Bitcoin.com Wallet is already installed, it opens and claims the BCH automatically.
- If it is not installed, you are taken to the App Store or Google Play. Install the app, create your wallet, then tap the link again to claim.
A new wallet holding real money needs a backup straight away. Write down the recovery phrase the app shows during setup, or turn on Cloud Backup, before you claim anything substantial, and store that backup properly.
How to Cancel and Reclaim a Shareable Link
You can reclaim the funds from any link that has not yet been claimed.
- Open your Bitcoin Cash wallet's transaction history, or tap the link in the chat where you sent it.
- Select the Shareable Link transaction.
- Tap Check status.
- Tap Reclaim funds.
The BCH returns to your wallet, and the link no longer works. Reclaiming is the right move if the recipient has not responded, if you sent the link to the wrong person, or if you suspect someone else has seen it.
How to Use Shareable Links Safely
| Situation | The risk | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Sending to one person | Low, if the chat is private | Send in a direct message, not a group |
| Sending into a group chat | Anyone in the group can claim it first | Use a direct message, or accept it as a first-come giveaway |
| Posting on social media | Anyone who sees it can claim it | Only post a link you intend to give away |
| Forwarded or screenshotted messages | The link travels with the message | Reclaim and resend if it may have been passed on |
| The recipient has not claimed it | The link stays live in their chat history | Reclaim it after a reasonable wait |
| Sending a large amount | Everything rides on one link | Ask for the recipient's address and send normally |
A Shareable Link suits small, everyday amounts. For anything you would not hand over as cash, the recipient's Bitcoin Cash address is the safer route.
Recognizing a Fake Claim Link
Scammers imitate claim links because they look like free money. A genuine Shareable Link has these features:
- It opens the Bitcoin.com Wallet app, or the app store listing to install it.
- It never asks for your recovery phrase, private key, or password.
- It never asks you to send crypto first to "unlock" a payment.
Any page that asks you to enter a recovery phrase to claim funds is trying to steal your wallet. No legitimate claim process needs your phrase, and a private key or recovery phrase entered on a website should be treated as stolen. Chainalysis found that compromises of personal wallets made up 44% of all stolen crypto value in 2024. Fake claim pages that collect recovery phrases are one route to that kind of loss. The usual fraud patterns apply here too: unexpected messages, urgency, and offers that seem too generous.
Why Shareable Links Use Bitcoin Cash
Shareable Links currently work only with Bitcoin Cash, for two reasons.
Fees: Bitcoin Cash network fees are generally less than a cent per transaction, so a $5 link arrives at almost exactly $5. On networks where fees can climb to several dollars during busy periods, sending small amounts by link would cost a large share of the payment.
Speed: The recipient sees the funds as soon as they claim, which keeps the experience as simple as opening a message.
Every other asset in the Bitcoin.com Wallet, including Bitcoin, Ethereum, and stablecoins, is sent to an address in the usual way. Sending Bitcoin Cash to an address remains the better choice when you already know where the funds should go.
When to Use a Shareable Link
| Situation | Good fit? | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Introducing a friend or relative to crypto | Yes | They can install a wallet and receive funds in one step |
| Splitting a bill or paying back a friend | Yes | No need to ask for an address |
| Sending a small gift or tip | Yes | Low fees keep small amounts practical |
| Paying someone whose address you already have | No | Sending to the address is simpler and carries no link risk |
| Sending a large amount | No | A single intercepted link puts the whole amount at risk |
| Paying a business or exchange | No | They need a payment to their own address |
| Sending assets other than BCH | No | Shareable Links work only with Bitcoin Cash |
For someone brand new, a link pairs well with a quick introduction to crypto, so their first transaction comes with an explanation of what they now hold.
Conclusion
A Shareable Link turns a Bitcoin Cash payment into something anyone can receive, even with no wallet and no knowledge of addresses. You choose an amount, send a link through any messaging app, and the recipient claims it by tapping. Until they do, you can reclaim it.
The link itself is the claim, which is what makes it both convenient and risky. Sent privately to one person for a modest amount, it is one of the simplest ways to move crypto between people. Posted publicly, dropped into a group, or used for large sums, it behaves like cash left on a table. Treat it the way you would treat banknotes, and treat any claim page that asks for your recovery phrase as the scam it is.
