Your first search

Use a short, nonvaluable test search first:

btc-vanity --backend cpu --prefix abc

Bitcoin is the default chain and prefix is the default match mode. For Bitcoin prefix search, btc-vanity accounts for the fixed leading 1, so the command looks for an address beginning with 1abc.

The program reports the selected settings, searches, and then prints the private key, public key, address, and elapsed time. The values are intentionally not reproduced in this manual: every successful run creates fresh secret material.

Confirm the result without retaining it

For this first test, use a disposable result:

1. Check that the printed address has the requested prefix.
2. Do not send funds to it.
3. Clear terminal scrollback or close the disposable session when finished.

Terminal output contains a private key. Redirecting output, copying the terminal, or recording the session creates additional secret copies.

Try another match mode

btc-vanity --backend cpu --suffix abc
btc-vanity --backend cpu --anywhere abc

These modes search the complete encoded address. Prefix, suffix, and anywhere are exact-pattern modes; regular expressions are a separate CPU-only mode.

Try another chain

The corresponding feature must have been enabled during installation:

btc-vanity --eth --backend cpu --prefix abc
btc-vanity --sol --backend cpu --prefix abc

Ethereum patterns use hexadecimal digits and should omit 0x. Solana patterns use Base58. Read Bitcoin, Ethereum, and Solana before comparing their search costs.