# ckBTC can be transferred only to principals?

**URL:** https://forum.dfinity.org/t/ckbtc-can-be-transferred-only-to-principals/20840
**Category:** Developers
**Tags:** Functional-Programming
**Created:** [June 20, 2023, 1:15pm UTC](https://forum.dfinity.org/t/ckbtc-can-be-transferred-only-to-principals/20840 "2023-06-20T13:15:34Z")
**Posts on this page:** 5
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

### Author: ![gladguy](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex023/user_avatar/forum.dfinity.org/gladguy/32/11145_2.png) [@gladguy](https://forum.dfinity.org/u/gladguy)
#### Post date: [June 20, 2023, 1:15pm UTC](https://forum.dfinity.org/t/ckbtc-can-be-transferred-only-to-principals/20840/1 "2023-06-20T13:15:34Z")

</div>

Hi there,

Can we transfer ckBTC to accounts or only to Principals ?

Thanks  
Regards  
Waheed

---

<div class="post-metadata">

### Author: ![bogwar](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex023/user_avatar/forum.dfinity.org/bogwar/32/2161_2.png) [@bogwar](https://forum.dfinity.org/u/bogwar)
#### Post date: [June 20, 2023, 1:40pm UTC](https://forum.dfinity.org/t/ckbtc-can-be-transferred-only-to-principals/20840/2 "2023-06-20T13:40:44Z")

</div>

The ckBTC canister follows the ICRC-1 standard, so it allows transfers to accounts.

Hope this helps

---

<div class="post-metadata">

### Author: ![gladguy](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex023/user_avatar/forum.dfinity.org/gladguy/32/11145_2.png) [@gladguy](https://forum.dfinity.org/u/gladguy)
#### Post date: [June 20, 2023, 2:40pm UTC](https://forum.dfinity.org/t/ckbtc-can-be-transferred-only-to-principals/20840/3 "2023-06-20T14:40:40Z")

</div>

Can’t transfer ckBTC to account id using plug-wallet as well as ICPSwap  
Buttons are disabled meaning not possible?

 ![Screenshot from 2023-06-20 18-39-12](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex023/uploads/dfn/original/2X/b/b4e3cf4b0a8838b1d9b67eaf31ece402c727a44d.png)  
 ![Screenshot from 2023-06-20 18-37-45](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex023/uploads/dfn/original/2X/e/e5c974155d301f91bd880a3b84ebf66d62f77f22.png)

---

<div class="post-metadata">

### Author: ![dfxjesse](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex023/user_avatar/forum.dfinity.org/dfxjesse/32/17424_2.png) [@dfxjesse](https://forum.dfinity.org/u/dfxjesse)
#### Post date: [June 20, 2023, 2:53pm UTC](https://forum.dfinity.org/t/ckbtc-can-be-transferred-only-to-principals/20840/4 "2023-06-20T14:53:42Z")

</div>

It can be only transferred to Principals yes or a Principal with a sub-account attached to it. The account type of ckBTC (and other ICRC-1) tokens is an object:

```auto
type Account = record { owner : principal; subaccount : opt Subaccount; };

```

and if there is a subaccount it looks something like this:

```auto
k2t6j-2nvnp-4zjm3-25dtz-6xhaa-c7boj-5gayf-oj3xs-i43lp-teztq-6ae-dfxgiyy.102030405060708090a0b0c0d0e0f101112131415161718191a1b1c1d1e1f20

```

This is different to ICP account IDs which is a Hex encoded Account type (like the one you showed). ICRC-1 accounts are encoded differently.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

### Author: ![gladguy](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex023/user_avatar/forum.dfinity.org/gladguy/32/11145_2.png) [@gladguy](https://forum.dfinity.org/u/gladguy)
#### Post date: [June 20, 2023, 3:10pm UTC](https://forum.dfinity.org/t/ckbtc-can-be-transferred-only-to-principals/20840/5 "2023-06-20T15:10:29Z")

</div>

> [@dfxjesse](#):
>
> This is different to ICP account IDs which is a Hex encoded Account type (like the one you showed). ICRC-1 accounts are encoded differently.

Thanks for the reply.

Is there any example in the repository ?
