Underneath "What is usdt?" sits one idea: the coin is the same, the road it takes is not. USDT TRC20 is the version of USDT issued as a TRC20 token on the TRON blockchain, and it is one of the most common ways to send USDT because fees there are usually low. The same coin also exists as BEP20 on BNB Smart Chain and as ERC20 on Ethereum. Each version has its own fees and rules, and a balance on one network never moves to another by itself.
What is the BEP20 network? Strictly, BEP20 is a token standard on BNB Smart Chain rather than a network of its own, though wallets and cashiers list it as one. USDT BEP20 is the version of USDT issued under that standard, and its fees are paid in BNB, the native coin of the chain, usually at low cost. Addresses on BNB Smart Chain start with 0x exactly as Ethereum addresses do, and one address can exist on both chains. The look of an address therefore never shows which network a payment will travel on.
TRC20 vs ERC20 sets TRON against Ethereum. ERC20 fees, paid in ETH gas, are often far higher when Ethereum is congested, which is why many people prefer TRC20 for small USDT amounts when the receiving side supports it. Support is the deciding detail: some platforms accept only one of the two, and some take a network for deposits but not for withdrawals, so each page needs its own check. On any route used for the first time, sending a small amount before the full sum proves that the network matches.
What is the TRON TRC20 network? TRON is a blockchain with its own coin, TRX, and TRC20 is the token standard under which other coins, USDT included, are issued on it. TRX and TRC20 are different things: one is the native coin, the other is a format. TRON counts fees in resources called energy and bandwidth. An account uses the resources it holds or has been delegated, and when they run short the network burns TRX to cover the gap, so one transfer can cost different amounts from different accounts. TRON addresses usually start with the letter T.
In energy and bandwidth, from resources the account holds or has been delegated; when those run short, the network burns TRX to cover the difference.
ETH, as gas: the gas the transfer uses times the gas price at that moment, which rises when Ethereum is busy.
BNB, the native coin of the chain, so a wallet sending BEP20 tokens needs a little BNB.
Not reliably. Addresses on BEP20 and ERC20 share the 0x format and may match exactly, so the network is picked from the list and matched on the receiving side.
A TRON address usually starts with the capital letter T, unlike the 0x addresses of Ethereum and compatible chains.
Some platforms accept a network for deposits but not for withdrawals, or the other way round, so each page lists its own networks.