Crypto Core Education

What is the difference between a public key and a wallet address?

A public key is the cryptographic counterpart to your private key, while a wallet address is a shorter, hashed version of that public key used as the destination for funds. The address is derived by running the public key through hash functions, producing a compact string that is easier to share and harder to tamper with. For example, on Bitcoin an address is generated from the public key, not used interchangeably with it. In practice you share the address to receive crypto, and the public key sits beneath it.