How a TRC-20 token works
A TRC-20 token is a smart contract on Tron that records balances by address. Tron's developer documentation lists six required functions (totalSupply, balanceOf, transfer, transferFrom, approve and allowance) and two required events, Transfer and Approval. The token's name, symbol and decimals are optional.
The list is the same as in Ethereum's ERC-20, so the integration pattern is the same: read balances, call transfer, watch Transfer events.
How TRC-20 transfers are paid for
Tron charges for transactions through two resources. Every transaction consumes Bandwidth, by its size in bytes, and a smart contract call such as a token transfer also consumes Energy.
Both are obtained by staking TRX, Tron's own coin, or received by delegation, and each account has a small free allowance of Bandwidth but none of Energy. When an account lacks the resources, TRX is burned to pay. An address that holds only tokens therefore needs TRX, or Energy delegated to it, before it can send them.
What TRC-20 means for a product that handles tokens
A Tron address is 34 characters in its usual Base58Check form and starts with T. The same stablecoin on Tron and on Ethereum is two separate assets to a ledger, each with its own addresses, fees and confirmations.
A platform lists each network separately, and a transfer sent on a network it does not support is not credited automatically.
TRC-20, ERC-20 or TRC-10?
- ERC-20
- Ethereum's token standard, with the same functions and events. Fees there are paid as gas in ETH, and addresses start with 0x.
- TRC-10
- Tron's native token standard, implemented at protocol level and not as a smart contract. Tron's documentation recommends TRC-20 for new tokens.
- TRX
- Tron's own coin, staked for resources and burned for fees. TRX is not a TRC-20 token.
Where TRC-20 shows up in a platform
Modules that do the work
- Custody & walletsWallets on every major chain, with MPC custody from leading providers or your own keys.
- LedgerThe double-entry book of record behind every balance, fee and transfer.
Platforms that need it
Guides that go deeper
Where it is written
The laws and standards this page's facts come from.
- TRON Developer Hub, TRC-20 protocol interface
- TRON Developer Hub, Resource Model
- TRON Developer Hub, Accounts
- TRON Developer Hub, TRC-10
General information, not legal advice: what applies to you depends on your services and your market.