BUIP076: (passed) Support Base32 address format in BUCash

[torusJKL]

BUIP076: Support Base32 address format in BUCash
Submitted on 17th November 2017 by torusJKL

This BUIP is very similar to BUIP70.
But it is not a counter BUIP as both address formats could be used in parallel and it is not clear which one will emerge in the market.

Motivation
Bitcoin and Bitcoin Cash share the same address format.
This had the effect that users have sent BTC or BCH to an address that was used on the other chain such that if the other party does not recognize that chain the coins are "lost".

In addition users have sent BCH to SegWit addresses making them unspendable on the BCH chain even if the owner had the private key.


Objectives
Implement a new address format that would make the addresses distinguishable from each other such that users do not send funds to addresses from wallets that use the BTC chain.


Solution
Use the Base32 cashaddr format as proposed on the bitcoin-ml mailing list.


Development task
BUCash should develop the following:

• allow to use the new address format when sending a payment
• allow to use the new address format when signing and verifying a message
• allow to configure in the GUI if addresses should be displayed in the new or old format
• provide a command line argument to convert the old format to the new and vice versa

At the time of writing the BUIP the specification has not yet been finalized.
The Bitcoin Unlimited lead developer is encouraged to participate in the discussion and represent BU in this matter.

Should there be no consensus on the specification than it is up to the Bitcoin Unlimited lead developer's discretion to choose between the proposed cashaddr solutions.

References
Specs: Address format for Bitcoin Cash
bitcoin-ml discussion

 

[torusJKL]

@solex please add this BUIP to the list and change the number if there is a collision.
Thanks

 

[torusJKL]

@solex this BUIP is ready for membership vote.

 

[Roy Badami]

[This comment cross-posted to both BUIP070 and BUIP076]

As you probably know, I'm not a huge fan of the underlying bech32 design on which cashaddr is based.

But the fact is cashaddr is good enough, and it has momentum. And Bitpay have expressed willingness to drop their proposal and adopt whatever address format the community selects.

So right now I support implementing cashaddr as the new address format for Bitcoin Cash. I'm against supporting additional alternatives in addition to cashaddr, as I think it will only add confusion. (Which is why I didn't submit a BUIP for my proposal.)

 

[Christoph Bergmann]

Yes

Signed message:
BUIP076: Yes!

Signature:
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