Glossary · assets and networks
What is a blockchain network?
A blockchain network is the shared ledger a transaction travels on. It decides how fast a payment confirms, what it costs, which addresses are valid, and which assets exist there at all.
One asset, several networks, and why that is a payments problem
A stablecoin like USDC exists on many networks. Each version is the same asset by name and a different thing in practice: different addresses, different fees, different confirmation times, and no interchangeability.
Send USDC on one network to a USDC address on another and the funds do not arrive. Nothing is wrong with either address. They are simply on different ledgers.
For a merchant this means the network is part of the payment method, not a technical footnote. Offering an asset on a cheap fast network and on an expensive slow one gives shoppers two different experiences under one label.
Which is why every CoinGate order fixes both the asset and the network at the moment the shopper chooses, and why the payout flow checks that a destination address matches the network selected.
What to get right
Three rules that prevent the expensive mistake.
Never treat the asset as the whole instruction
Asset plus network is the instruction. Either alone is incomplete.
Frequently asked questions
Can I send an asset across networks?
Not directly. Bridging exists but it is a separate operation with its own risk, and it is not part of a payment. Match the network on both ends.
Which network should I offer?
The cheapest and fastest ones your shoppers actually hold the asset on. There is no single right answer and it changes.
Does the network change what I receive?
No. It changes what the transfer costs and how long it takes. The amount settled is the amount invoiced.