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As an extension to this question and some quick searches on software crypto wallets - my understanding is that any newly generated key-pair is unique to a specific cryptocurrency.

Assuming this is correct, how is this realized? In other words, how is this restriction imposed?

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Key pairs are not unique to a specific cryptocurrency but addresses are. You can have the same key pair but it will lead to different addresses in Bitcoin and Litecoin for example, one starting with bc1 and the other one starting with L

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  • I see, so if a public/private key pair were generated via some wallet app, the public key would then be hashed using an algorithm specific to a cryptocurrency in order to create an address?
    – kenta_desu
    Commented Sep 22, 2022 at 15:35
  • yes pretty much, you would add a prefix to differentiate your coin after hashing
    – Mike D
    Commented Sep 22, 2022 at 17:03
  • Thanks vm. And I assume that prefix is somehow pre-set before deployment of the coin or token?
    – kenta_desu
    Commented Sep 23, 2022 at 2:35
  • Doesn't this sort of question and this imply that, at some time, BTC, BCH and LTC had compatible and indistinguishable addresses that were not unique to a specific cryptocurrency?
    – RedGrittyBrick
    Commented Sep 23, 2022 at 9:53

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