Author: Ben Thompson 2017-10-30 12:49:18
Published on: 2017-10-30T12:49:18+00:00
When checking the first few bytes of a Bitcoin Address, it is not sufficient to ensure that the address is correct. This is because it is possible to generate a 3 character vanity address that matches the first 3 characters of an address in less than a second. A user raised a concern on the bitcoin-dev mailing list regarding Bech32 addresses which only display 'bc1.' as the first few characters making it difficult to visually distinguish between different addresses. The user suggested making the Bech32 address format more visually distinct, at least for the first few bytes, to help users ensure that they have copied the correct address. The concern was discussed on the mailing list, but no solution was proposed.
Updated on: 2023-06-12T21:46:58.316160+00:00