TRX: Why can’t I see my tokens on MEW?
Recently, MEW removed TRX from the default token list (read on for more detail on why this was done) and many users have been taken by surprise, demanding an explanation. Here it is, along with some advice for not being caught unaware again!
TRON Foundation
The TRON Foundation started with Justin Sun in September of 2017. They launched an ERC20 token, TRX, that many people found to be valuable. With the purchase of this TRX token, users sought out MEW to ‘hodl’ their assets. This was all well and good, as the token was easily accessed and managed using our interface.
In June of 2018, the TRON Foundation announced they were moving to mainnet — from an ERC20 token on the Ethereum blockchain to an actual coin on its own, separate blockchain. This message was broadcast on social media over 6–7 months. The TRON Foundation kept their official token swap functionality open from June 2018 to January 2019, yet many users still find the news to be, well, news.
The swap period is over
At the time of writing this, old TRX tokens that some users still hold on MEW can no longer be swapped for mainnet on the TRON Foundation’s official website. The swapping period was maintained an extra month longer than the original deadline to accommodate stragglers, but now the deadline has been reached. They no longer offer support for this service.
Some exchanges, such as Binance, Gate.io, and Max Exchange, still may perform these swaps from the TRX token to TRX mainnet coin. It is unclear how long these swaps will remain open, or which exchanges support them, so please check with each exchange or TRON support for more information.
Why did we remove TRX?
MEW strives to maintain an up-to-date list of all approved ERC20 tokens. When tokens move to mainnet, protocols and swap periods may differ. Users may or may not be able to still see their balance on MEW. For some time after TRON’s mainnet launch, we kept TRX in our list, but it was the users’ own responsibility to follow the TRX swap procedure.
Now, we removed the TRX token from our default token list to address user concerns. Some have sent their old TRX tokens from exchanges to their Ethereum address via MEW, thinking that we support TRX. After being told these tokens hold no value on the Ethereum blockchain, they became frustrated with the process of sending tokens back out of MEW, especially since they now needed extra ETH to fuel the transaction. We removed this token in hopes that users would realize — we no longer support TRX because it is no longer on the Ethereum blockchain.
I still have the TRX token.. what can I do now?
The TRX token that shows on MEW should not be ‘hodl’d. If you have these vintage TRX tokens, they are no longer worth anything. You should send them to a supported exchange and hope they can still be swapped for TRX mainnet coins.
How to achieve this? MyEtherWallet supports the ability to add a custom token. If you would like to send your TRX tokens to an exchange, simply add it as a custom token with the information below, make sure you have around .01 ETH for gas, and send the token to a supported Ethereum address at the exchange of choice. Some exchanges will have a TRX-specific Ethereum address, so make sure to research which address you should send your TRX to (or ask their support team for confirmation). Friendly reminder: All Ethereum addresses begin with ‘0x’ and are followed by 40 hexadecimal (0–9, a — f) characters. All TRX mainnet address begin with a ‘T’ and are followed by 30 characters.
The custom token information necessary to add the old TRX tokens on MEW:
Contract address: 0xf230b790E05390FC8295F4d3F60332c93BEd42e2
Decimal: 6
Symbol: TRX (You may need to add it as TRX2, if you get an error)
Can this happen to other tokens I own?
Yes, yes it can. It is up to you, the user, to keep track of your crypto investments, and be aware of press releases and updates. The full list of ERC20 tokens in the Ethereum ecosystem is extremely long, and it continues to grow everyday. It is impossible for us to stay current with every single one of them — it is the responsibility of the funds’ owner.
By being aware of what’s happening with your investments you can also help keep MEW, and the Ethereum ecosystem, up to date. MyEtherWallet is an open-source, community driven interface. If you want to make a difference, let us know on Github. Make a pull request, submit a bug, suggest features or changes you’d like to see. If you don’t know much about Github, email us! Our support team is useful for more than just helpful tips and tricks, we are very open to suggestion. Your voices are heard, and we love to weigh all the decisions we make with the opinions of our community.
#teamMEW
