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TRC20 Token Transfers - Complete Developer Guide

Master TRC20 Token Operations

Dwellir's TRON endpoints provide comprehensive TRC20 token support with optimized smart contract interactions. Build powerful token applications with our complete TRC20 integration guide.

Start building with TRC20 tokens →

Complete guide to implementing TRC20 token transfers on the TRON network. Learn how to check balances, approve spending, transfer tokens, and handle all TRC20 operations.

Overview of TRC20 Standard​

TRC20 is TRON's fungible token standard, similar to Ethereum's ERC20. Popular tokens include:

  • USDT (Tether) - TR7NHqjeKQxGTCi8q8ZY4pL8otSzgjLj6t
  • USDC (USD Coin) - TEkxiTehnzSmSe2XqrBj4w32RUN966rdz8
  • JST (JUST) - TCFLL5dx5ZJdKnWuesXxi1VPwjLVmWZZy9
  • WTRX (Wrapped TRX) - TNUC9Qb1rRpS5CbWLmNMxXBjyFoydXjWFR

Key TRC20 Functions​

  • balanceOf(address) - Check token balance
  • transfer(address,uint256) - Transfer tokens
  • approve(address,uint256) - Approve spending
  • transferFrom(address,address,uint256) - Transfer on behalf
  • allowance(address,address) - Check approved amount

Implementation Examples​

#!/bin/bash
API_KEY="YOUR_API_KEY"
BASE_URL="https://api-tron-mainnet.n.dwellir.com/$API_KEY"

# Popular TRC20 token addresses
USDT_ADDRESS="TR7NHqjeKQxGTCi8q8ZY4pL8otSzgjLj6t"
USDC_ADDRESS="TEkxiTehnzSmSe2XqrBj4w32RUN966rdz8"
JST_ADDRESS="TCFLL5dx5ZJdKnWuesXxi1VPwjLVmWZZy9"
WTRX_ADDRESS="TNUC9Qb1rRpS5CbWLmNMxXBjyFoydXjWFR"

# Function to encode address for contract parameters
encode_address() {
  local address=$1
  # Simplified encoding - use proper tools in production
  echo "0000000000000000000000004142b5e01c8c59a25d78acdbec2bfc7e89e5e863"
}

# Function to encode uint256
encode_uint256() {
  local value=$1
  printf "%064x" "$value"
}

# Get TRC20 token balance
get_token_balance() {
  local token_address=$1
  local wallet_address=$2
  
  local encoded_address=$(encode_address "$wallet_address")
  
  curl -s -X POST "$BASE_URL/wallet/triggersmartcontract" \
    -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
    -d "{
      \"contract_address\": \"$token_address\",
      \"function_selector\": \"balanceOf(address)\",
      \"parameter\": \"$encoded_address\",
      \"owner_address\": \"$wallet_address\",
      \"visible\": true
    }" | jq -r '.constant_result[0] // "0"' | xargs printf "%d"
}

# Get token info (symbol, decimals, name)
get_token_info() {
  local token_address=$1
  
  echo "Getting token information for $token_address..."
  
  # Get symbol
  local symbol_result=$(curl -s -X POST "$BASE_URL/wallet/triggersmartcontract" \
    -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
    -d "{
      \"contract_address\": \"$token_address\",
      \"function_selector\": \"symbol()\",
      \"owner_address\": \"$token_address\",
      \"visible\": true
    }")
  
  # Get decimals
  local decimals_result=$(curl -s -X POST "$BASE_URL/wallet/triggersmartcontract" \
    -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
    -d "{
      \"contract_address\": \"$token_address\",
      \"function_selector\": \"decimals()\",
      \"owner_address\": \"$token_address\",
      \"visible\": true
    }")
  
  # Get name
  local name_result=$(curl -s -X POST "$BASE_URL/wallet/triggersmartcontract" \
    -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
    -d "{
      \"contract_address\": \"$token_address\",
      \"function_selector\": \"name()\",
      \"owner_address\": \"$token_address\",
      \"visible\": true
    }")
  
  local symbol=$(echo "$symbol_result" | jq -r '.constant_result[0] // "UNKNOWN"')
  local decimals_hex=$(echo "$decimals_result" | jq -r '.constant_result[0] // "6"')
  local decimals=$(printf "%d" "0x$decimals_hex" 2>/dev/null || echo "6")
  local name=$(echo "$name_result" | jq -r '.constant_result[0] // "Unknown"')
  
  echo "Symbol: $symbol"
  echo "Decimals: $decimals"
  echo "Name: $name"
  
  # Export for use in other functions
  export TOKEN_SYMBOL="$symbol"
  export TOKEN_DECIMALS="$decimals"
  export TOKEN_NAME="$name"
}

# Create TRC20 transfer transaction
create_token_transfer() {
  local token_address=$1
  local from_address=$2
  local to_address=$3
  local amount=$4  # Amount in token's smallest unit
  
  local encoded_to=$(encode_address "$to_address")
  local encoded_amount=$(encode_uint256 "$amount")
  local parameters="${encoded_to}${encoded_amount}"
  
  curl -s -X POST "$BASE_URL/wallet/triggersmartcontract" \
    -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
    -d "{
      \"contract_address\": \"$token_address\",
      \"function_selector\": \"transfer(address,uint256)\",
      \"parameter\": \"$parameters\",
      \"owner_address\": \"$from_address\",
      \"visible\": true
    }"
}

# Create TRC20 approval transaction
create_token_approval() {
  local token_address=$1
  local owner_address=$2
  local spender_address=$3
  local amount=$4
  
  local encoded_spender=$(encode_address "$spender_address")
  local encoded_amount=$(encode_uint256 "$amount")
  local parameters="${encoded_spender}${encoded_amount}"
  
  curl -s -X POST "$BASE_URL/wallet/triggersmartcontract" \
    -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
    -d "{
      \"contract_address\": \"$token_address\",
      \"function_selector\": \"approve(address,uint256)\",
      \"parameter\": \"$parameters\",
      \"owner_address\": \"$owner_address\",
      \"visible\": true
    }"
}

# Get allowance
get_allowance() {
  local token_address=$1
  local owner_address=$2
  local spender_address=$3
  
  local encoded_owner=$(encode_address "$owner_address")
  local encoded_spender=$(encode_address "$spender_address")
  local parameters="${encoded_owner}${encoded_spender}"
  
  curl -s -X POST "$BASE_URL/wallet/triggersmartcontract" \
    -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
    -d "{
      \"contract_address\": \"$token_address\",
      \"function_selector\": \"allowance(address,address)\",
      \"parameter\": \"$parameters\",
      \"owner_address\": \"$owner_address\",
      \"visible\": true
    }" | jq -r '.constant_result[0] // "0"' | xargs printf "%d"
}

# Get formatted balance
get_formatted_balance() {
  local token_address=$1
  local wallet_address=$2
  
  echo "Getting balance for $wallet_address..."
  
  # Get token info first
  get_token_info "$token_address"
  
  # Get balance
  local balance=$(get_token_balance "$token_address" "$wallet_address")
  
  # Calculate formatted balance
  local formatted_balance
  if [ "$TOKEN_DECIMALS" -gt 0 ]; then
    formatted_balance=$(echo "scale=6; $balance / (10^$TOKEN_DECIMALS)" | bc -l)
  else
    formatted_balance="$balance"
  fi
  
  echo "Raw balance: $balance"
  echo "Formatted balance: $formatted_balance $TOKEN_SYMBOL"
}

# Portfolio balance checker
check_portfolio() {
  local wallet_address=$1
  
  echo "=== Portfolio Balances for $wallet_address ==="
  echo ""
  
  # USDT
  echo "USDT Balance:"
  get_formatted_balance "$USDT_ADDRESS" "$wallet_address"
  echo ""
  
  # USDC
  echo "USDC Balance:"
  get_formatted_balance "$USDC_ADDRESS" "$wallet_address"
  echo ""
  
  # JST
  echo "JST Balance:"
  get_formatted_balance "$JST_ADDRESS" "$wallet_address"
  echo ""
  
  # WTRX
  echo "WTRX Balance:"
  get_formatted_balance "$WTRX_ADDRESS" "$wallet_address"
  echo ""
}

# Complete transfer workflow
transfer_usdt() {
  local from_address=$1
  local to_address=$2
  local amount_usdt=$3
  
  echo "=== USDT Transfer Workflow ==="
  echo "From: $from_address"
  echo "To: $to_address"
  echo "Amount: $amount_usdt USDT"
  echo ""
  
  # 1. Get token info
  echo "1. Getting USDT token info..."
  get_token_info "$USDT_ADDRESS"
  echo ""
  
  # 2. Check balance
  echo "2. Checking balance..."
  local balance=$(get_token_balance "$USDT_ADDRESS" "$from_address")
  local formatted_balance=$(echo "scale=6; $balance / (10^$TOKEN_DECIMALS)" | bc -l)
  echo "Current balance: $formatted_balance USDT"
  
  # Check if sufficient balance
  if (( $(echo "$formatted_balance < $amount_usdt" | bc -l) )); then
    echo "❌ Insufficient balance!"
    echo "Have: $formatted_balance USDT"
    echo "Need: $amount_usdt USDT"
    return 1
  fi
  
  # 3. Calculate amount in smallest unit
  local amount_in_decimals=$(echo "scale=0; $amount_usdt * (10^$TOKEN_DECIMALS) / 1" | bc -l)
  echo "Amount in smallest unit: $amount_in_decimals"
  echo ""
  
  # 4. Create transfer transaction
  echo "3. Creating transfer transaction..."
  local transfer_result=$(create_token_transfer "$USDT_ADDRESS" "$from_address" "$to_address" "$amount_in_decimals")
  
  # Check if successful
  local success=$(echo "$transfer_result" | jq -r '.result.result // false')
  
  if [ "$success" = "true" ]; then
    local tx_id=$(echo "$transfer_result" | jq -r '.transaction.txID')
    local energy_used=$(echo "$transfer_result" | jq -r '.energy_used // 0')
    
    echo "✅ Transfer transaction created successfully!"
    echo "Transaction ID: $tx_id"
    echo "Energy required: $energy_used"
    echo ""
    echo "Next steps:"
    echo "1. Sign the transaction with your private key"
    echo "2. Broadcast the signed transaction"
    echo "3. Monitor for confirmation"
  else
    local error_message=$(echo "$transfer_result" | jq -r '.result.message // "Unknown error"')
    echo "❌ Transfer creation failed: $error_message"
    return 1
  fi
}

# Approval workflow
setup_approval() {
  local token_address=$1
  local owner_address=$2
  local spender_address=$3
  local amount=$4
  
  echo "=== Token Approval Workflow ==="
  echo "Token: $token_address"
  echo "Owner: $owner_address"
  echo "Spender: $spender_address"
  echo "Amount: $amount"
  echo ""
  
  # 1. Check current allowance
  echo "1. Checking current allowance..."
  local current_allowance=$(get_allowance "$token_address" "$owner_address" "$spender_address")
  echo "Current allowance: $current_allowance"
  
  # 2. Create approval if needed
  if [ "$current_allowance" -lt "$amount" ]; then
    echo ""
    echo "2. Creating approval transaction..."
    local approval_result=$(create_token_approval "$token_address" "$owner_address" "$spender_address" "$amount")
    
    local success=$(echo "$approval_result" | jq -r '.result.result // false')
    
    if [ "$success" = "true" ]; then
      local tx_id=$(echo "$approval_result" | jq -r '.transaction.txID')
      echo "✅ Approval transaction created: $tx_id"
    else
      local error_message=$(echo "$approval_result" | jq -r '.result.message // "Unknown error"')
      echo "❌ Approval creation failed: $error_message"
      return 1
    fi
  else
    echo "✅ Sufficient allowance already exists"
  fi
}

# Main script usage
case "${1:-help}" in
  "balance")
    if [ -z "$2" ] || [ -z "$3" ]; then
      echo "Usage: $0 balance TOKEN_ADDRESS WALLET_ADDRESS"
      exit 1
    fi
    get_formatted_balance "$2" "$3"
    ;;
  "portfolio")
    if [ -z "$2" ]; then
      echo "Usage: $0 portfolio WALLET_ADDRESS"
      exit 1
    fi
    check_portfolio "$2"
    ;;
  "transfer")
    if [ -z "$4" ]; then
      echo "Usage: $0 transfer FROM_ADDRESS TO_ADDRESS AMOUNT"
      exit 1
    fi
    transfer_usdt "$2" "$3" "$4"
    ;;
  "approve")
    if [ -z "$5" ]; then
      echo "Usage: $0 approve TOKEN_ADDRESS OWNER_ADDRESS SPENDER_ADDRESS AMOUNT"
      exit 1
    fi
    setup_approval "$2" "$3" "$4" "$5"
    ;;
  "info")
    if [ -z "$2" ]; then
      echo "Usage: $0 info TOKEN_ADDRESS"
      exit 1
    fi
    get_token_info "$2"
    ;;
  *)
    echo "TRON TRC20 Token Manager"
    echo ""
    echo "Usage: $0 {balance|portfolio|transfer|approve|info} [args...]"
    echo ""
    echo "Commands:"
    echo "  balance TOKEN_ADDRESS WALLET_ADDRESS           - Get token balance"
    echo "  portfolio WALLET_ADDRESS                       - Get portfolio balances"
    echo "  transfer FROM_ADDRESS TO_ADDRESS AMOUNT        - Transfer USDT"
    echo "  approve TOKEN_ADDRESS OWNER SPENDER AMOUNT     - Setup token approval"
    echo "  info TOKEN_ADDRESS                             - Get token information"
    echo ""
    echo "Examples:"
    echo "  $0 balance $USDT_ADDRESS TRX6Q82wMqWNbCCmJPLz9mR8AZwqvUU2pN"
    echo "  $0 portfolio TRX6Q82wMqWNbCCmJPLz9mR8AZwqvUU2pN"
    echo "  $0 transfer TJmmqjb1DK9TTZbQXzRQ2AuA94z4gKAPFh TRX6Q82wMqWNbCCmJPLz9mR8AZwqvUU2pN 10"
    echo "  $0 info $USDT_ADDRESS"
    ;;
esac

Best Practices​

1. Error Handling​

async function safeTokenTransfer(tokenAddress, fromAddress, toAddress, amount) {
  try {
    // 1. Validate inputs
    if (!isValidTronAddress(fromAddress) || !isValidTronAddress(toAddress)) {
      throw new Error('Invalid address format');
    }
    
    if (amount <= 0) {
      throw new Error('Amount must be positive');
    }
    
    // 2. Check token exists
    const tokenInfo = await getTokenInfo(tokenAddress);
    if (!tokenInfo) {
      throw new Error('Token contract not found');
    }
    
    // 3. Check balance
    const balance = await getTokenBalance(tokenAddress, fromAddress);
    const amountInDecimals = amount * Math.pow(10, tokenInfo.decimals);
    
    if (parseFloat(balance) < amountInDecimals) {
      throw new Error('Insufficient token balance');
    }
    
    // 4. Check energy/bandwidth
    const resourceCheck = await checkResourcesForTransfer(fromAddress);
    if (!resourceCheck.canExecute) {
      throw new Error(`Insufficient resources: ${resourceCheck.reason}`);
    }
    
    // 5. Create transaction
    const transferResult = await createTokenTransfer(
      tokenAddress,
      fromAddress,
      toAddress,
      amountInDecimals.toString()
    );
    
    return {
      success: true,
      transaction: transferResult,
      estimatedCost: resourceCheck.estimatedCost
    };
    
  } catch (error) {
    return {
      success: false,
      error: error.message,
      code: error.code || 'UNKNOWN_ERROR'
    };
  }
}

2. Gas Optimization​

class TRC20GasOptimizer {
  async optimizeTransfer(tokenAddress, fromAddress, toAddress, amount) {
    // 1. Estimate energy cost
    const energyEstimate = await estimateEnergyForTransfer(tokenAddress, fromAddress, amount);
    
    // 2. Check if user has enough staked energy
    const resources = await getAccountResources(fromAddress);
    const availableEnergy = resources.EnergyLimit - resources.EnergyUsed;
    
    if (availableEnergy >= energyEstimate) {
      return {
        strategy: 'use_staked_energy',
        cost: 0,
        recommendation: 'Transaction will execute for free'
      };
    }
    
    // 3. Calculate different cost strategies
    const strategies = [
      {
        name: 'Pay with TRX',
        cost: energyEstimate * 0.00014,
        description: 'Pay TRX for energy consumption'
      },
      {
        name: 'Rent energy',
        cost: energyEstimate * 0.0001,
        description: 'Rent energy from third-party (30% cheaper)'
      },
      {
        name: 'Stake TRX',
        cost: energyEstimate / 4000,
        description: 'Stake TRX for reusable energy (best for frequent use)'
      }
    ];
    
    return {
      energyRequired: energyEstimate,
      strategies: strategies.sort((a, b) => a.cost - b.cost),
      recommendation: strategies[0]
    };
  }
}

3. Transaction Monitoring​

class TRC20TransactionMonitor {
  async monitorTransfer(txId, expectedAmount, expectedRecipient, tokenAddress) {
    const timeout = 60000; // 1 minute
    const checkInterval = 3000; // 3 seconds
    const startTime = Date.now();
    
    while (Date.now() - startTime < timeout) {
      try {
        const txDetails = await getTransactionById(txId);
        
        if (txDetails.blockNumber) {
          // Transaction confirmed, verify details
          const verification = await this.verifyTransfer(
            txDetails,
            expectedAmount,
            expectedRecipient,
            tokenAddress
          );
          
          return {
            confirmed: true,
            verified: verification.success,
            details: txDetails,
            verification: verification
          };
        }
        
        console.log('Waiting for confirmation...');
        await new Promise(resolve => setTimeout(resolve, checkInterval));
        
      } catch (error) {
        console.error('Monitoring error:', error);
      }
    }
    
    return {
      confirmed: false,
      timeout: true,
      message: 'Transaction confirmation timeout'
    };
  }
  
  async verifyTransfer(txDetails, expectedAmount, expectedRecipient, tokenAddress) {
    // Verify transaction called the correct contract
    const contract = txDetails.raw_data?.contract?.[0];
    if (contract?.parameter?.value?.contract_address !== tokenAddress) {
      return { success: false, reason: 'Wrong contract called' };
    }
    
    // Decode transfer parameters (simplified)
    // In production, use proper ABI decoding
    const data = contract.parameter.value.data;
    if (!data.startsWith('a9059cbb')) { // transfer function selector
      return { success: false, reason: 'Not a transfer call' };
    }
    
    return {
      success: true,
      verified: true,
      message: 'Transfer verified successfully'
    };
  }
}

Security Considerations​

  1. Validate Addresses - Always validate TRON addresses before transactions
  2. Check Token Contracts - Verify token contract addresses against known lists
  3. Amount Validation - Validate amounts and handle decimal precision correctly
  4. Resource Checks - Ensure sufficient energy/bandwidth before transactions
  5. Private Key Security - Never expose private keys in client-side code
  6. Transaction Limits - Implement reasonable limits for user protection

Common Pitfalls​

  1. Decimal Precision - Always account for token decimals when calculating amounts
  2. Address Format - Use correct encoding for contract parameters
  3. Gas Estimation - Factor in energy costs for smart contract calls
  4. Approval First - Remember to approve before transferFrom operations
  5. Network Congestion - Handle transaction delays and failures gracefully

Need help? Contact our support team or check the TRON documentation.