When you initiate a BTC withdrawal on MEXC, the exchange presents a network selection dropdown. The correct choice for Bitok Arena is BTC — the Bitcoin mainnet network. Choosing any other option sends funds to a different blockchain that Bitok Arena cannot read. BEP-20 routes to Binance Smart Chain. ERC-20 routes to Ethereum. Lightning routes to the Lightning Network. None of those produce a transaction visible on the Bitcoin mainnet blockchain that Bitok Arena uses to build its leaderboard. Selecting BTC means selecting the Bitcoin mainnet, and that is the only option that works for a Bitok Arena competition entry.
MEXC lists multiple withdrawal networks for BTC because the exchange supports wrapping Bitcoin on other chains. A bc1q address is a Bitcoin mainnet address only. Funds sent to it over BEP-20 travel to a Binance Smart Chain address with the same character string — on a completely different blockchain — where recovery requires a BSC-compatible wallet controlling those exact private keys.
The bc1q address generated by your self-custody wallet exists on the Bitcoin blockchain only. Funds sent via BEP-20, ERC-20, or Lightning do not arrive there because those networks are not the Bitcoin mainnet. The address string may look identical across blockchains, but routing is determined by the network selection you make on MEXC — not by how the address is formatted. Verify the network shows BTC before submitting the MEXC Bitcoin withdrawal.
The Correct MEXC Withdrawal for Bitok Arena
Open MEXC, navigate to Assets, find BTC, and select Withdraw. The form requires three inputs: destination address, network, and amount. Paste your bc1q self-custody address into the destination field — never type it manually. After pasting, check the first four and last four characters against what your wallet shows. Set the network to BTC. Enter the withdrawal amount, keeping in mind that MEXC deducts the Bitcoin network fee before broadcasting, so the amount arriving at your wallet is slightly less than the figure you enter.
The critical decisions in the MEXC withdrawal form that determine whether the Bitok Arena entry lands correctly:
Network identity — BTC or Bitcoin both indicate the mainnet; any other label — BEP-20, ERC-20, Lightning — routes to a different blockchain the Bitok Arena leaderboard cannot see; a wrong selection sends funds to a different chain regardless of destination address format.
Address character check — paste the bc1q self-custody wallet address and verify the first and last several characters against the wallet display before submitting; a single wrong character sends funds to an irreversible wrong destination.
Fee and net arrival — MEXC deducts the Bitcoin network fee before broadcasting; entering slightly more than the intended competition commitment ensures the full entry amount reaches the wallet after the deduction.
MEXC shows a summary screen before the 2FA step — confirm network reads BTC (Mainnet) and address begins with bc1q before proceeding.
Once MEXC broadcasts the transaction, a TXID appears in your withdrawal history. Paste it into any Bitcoin block explorer to monitor the confirmation count. The explorer displays the transaction if and only if it is a valid Bitcoin mainnet transaction — which is the final confirmation that the network selection was correct. Bitok Arena requires a minimum number of blockchain confirmations before an entry appears on the leaderboard; under normal fee conditions, those arrive within 30–60 minutes of broadcast.
Why Wrong Network Means Lost Funds
Bitok Arena reads the Bitcoin mainnet blockchain to build its leaderboard. Transactions from any other network — BEP-20, ERC-20, Lightning — do not appear on the Bitcoin mainnet blockchain and cannot be recognized by Bitok Arena's leaderboard system. This is not a platform limitation or a policy choice; it is a consequence of how separate blockchains work. The Bitcoin blockchain does not include BEP-20 transactions. Those transactions exist on Binance Smart Chain, a different distributed ledger maintained by different nodes under different consensus rules.
What happens when BTC is withdrawn from MEXC over the wrong network:
BEP-20 to bc1q address — funds arrive on Binance Smart Chain at the address matching the string you provided; recovery requires a BSC-compatible wallet that controls the private key for that address string; Bitcoin-only wallets typically cannot sign BSC transactions.
ERC-20 to bc1q address — funds arrive on Ethereum as wrapped BTC at the same address string; recovery requires an Ethereum-compatible wallet controlling that key.
Lightning to bc1q address — Lightning payments to a mainnet address that has no open channel typically fail at the routing level before funds leave; if they do not fail, the funds may be unrecoverable without specialized Lightning node tooling.
The safest rule: if the MEXC withdrawal network is not labeled BTC or Bitcoin, do not proceed for a Bitok Arena entry.
The two-step route — MEXC to self-custody wallet, then self-custody wallet to Bitok Arena master wallet — is the cleaner path for competition entries. When you send to the master wallet from your own bc1q address, that address is what the leaderboard records as your competing identity. A direct send from MEXC to the master wallet may route through MEXC's shared withdrawal address, putting the leaderboard position under an address the exchange controls.
Timing the Withdrawal for the Current Round
MEXC withdrawal processing times for BTC vary depending on the exchange's batch scheduling and current network fee market conditions. Most BTC withdrawals from MEXC broadcast within 30–60 minutes of submission, but can take longer during peak periods. Add the blockchain confirmation time — roughly 10 minutes per confirmation, with three confirmations required for Bitok Arena leaderboard appearance — and the total time from submitting the MEXC withdrawal to appearing on the leaderboard is typically 60–120 minutes under normal conditions. Plan the withdrawal timing accordingly, particularly if entering late in a round where the remaining time is limited.
The fastest path from MEXC BTC balance to Bitok Arena leaderboard position is: withdraw over BTC mainnet to self-custody, wait for wallet arrival confirmation, send from self-custody to master wallet with an adequate fee for next-block confirmation. Each step has its own time cost, and understanding the total pipeline prevents the frustration of initiating a withdrawal too close to round close to achieve confirmed leaderboard entry in time.
For regular Bitok Arena competitors who use MEXC as their primary BTC source, the most efficient workflow is maintaining a float in a self-custody wallet rather than withdrawing from the exchange before each round. Keeping a competition fund in a self-custody wallet funded periodically from MEXC eliminates the exchange withdrawal wait time from the round-entry sequence entirely. Each round entry is then a direct send from the self-custody wallet to the Bitok Arena master wallet — one transaction, one confirmation wait, one leaderboard appearance.
MEXC shows multiple networks for BTC. Only BTC (Bitcoin Mainnet) sends to an address Bitok Arena reads. Select BTC, paste your bc1q self-custody address, verify the summary screen before confirming, and let the transaction confirm on-chain. Then send from your self-custody wallet to the Bitok Arena master wallet and enter the round on a leaderboard that reflects exactly what landed on the Bitcoin blockchain.