Author: ts 2021-08-31 02:17:07
Published on: 2021-08-31T02:17:07+00:00
Pieter Wuille, a Bitcoin developer, has proposed a way to improve the user experience while verifying Bitcoin addresses. The discussion began with whether a bech32 string's last six characters could serve as a human-readable 5-digit code for address verification. However, it was noted that this feature is specific to bech32 and is not easily readable. Pieter suggests that in honestly-generated addresses, every character except the prefix has the same amount of entropy, making it possible to add a special 4-character "external" checksum on top of the built-in one. He acknowledges that adding such a code may encourage users to focus solely on it, which could worsen comparisons' quality in practice. He proposes an alternative solution of displaying 4 or 5 characters from a fixed position, such as positions 11-15, separately in a clear box and big font beside or below the address. This "Quick Verification Box" would encourage the user to look at a given number of characters and make it easier to see them.
Updated on: 2023-06-15T01:08:07.988222+00:00