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Use a new receive address every time

Every time someone sends you bitcoin, give them a brand new receive address. Good wallets make one for you automatically. It keeps your history private and, as Glassnode's research shows, it limits what a future quantum computer could ever reach.

What a receive address is

An address is where bitcoin is sent. Your wallet can make billions of them from the same recovery words, and they all belong to you. Using a new one costs nothing. See How Bitcoin addresses work.

Why reusing one is a problem

• Privacy: anyone who knows one address can see every payment to it and the running total.
• Quantum exposure: once you spend from an address, its public key is visible on the blockchain. Coins still sitting at that address are the ones a future quantum computer could target.

What the data says

Glassnode found about 6.04 million BTC behind public keys that are already visible. About 4.12 million of that comes from address reuse and custody habits, and it shrinks as coins move to fresh addresses. Full breakdown in Bitcoin myths vs data.

How to do it

1. Open your wallet and tap Receive. Most wallets show a new address each time.
2. If yours shows the same one, look for a "new address" or "generate" button.
3. Never post one address publicly for lots of payments. Use a fresh one per payment.
4. Holding coins on an exchange? Their reuse is out of your hands. Moving to your own wallet fixes that. See Choosing a Bitcoin wallet.

Not financial advice. General education only. Do your own research.