How to determine the compressibility and validity of a Bitcoin address

In the world of digital currency, Bitcoin, as the most representative virtual currency, has attracted the attention of countless investors and enthusiasts. With the development of technology, the address format of Bitcoin has also undergone many evolutions. Among them, the emergence of compressed addresses provides users with higher security and lower transaction costs. So, how to check whether a Bitcoin address is compressed? How to determine whether a Bitcoin address is valid? Next, we will explore these issues in depth to help everyone better understand the relevant knowledge of Bitcoin addresses.

First, let's understand the basic composition of a Bitcoin address. A Bitcoin address is a string of letters and numbers, usually starting with "1", "3" or "bc1". The main difference between compressed addresses and uncompressed addresses is how they are generated and the public key format used. Uncompressed addresses use the full public key, while compressed addresses use a compressed public key, which makes compressed addresses more efficient in storage and transmission.

Next, we can check whether a Bitcoin address is compressed through specific steps. First, identifying the format of the address is key. Compressed Bitcoin addresses usually start with "1" or "3" and are 34 characters long, while addresses starting with "bc1" are Segregated Witness (SegWit) addresses. To determine whether an address is compressed, first confirm that it is an address starting with "1" or "3", and then check whether its subsequent characters meet the characteristics of a compressed address.

For example, when we see an address of "1A1zP1eP5QGefi2DMPTfTL5SLmv7DivfNa", we can determine that it is a non-compressed address because it uses the full public key. If the address is "3J98t1WpEZ73CNmQviecrnyiWrnqRhWNL", it can be determined that it is a compressed address. In actual operation, the compressibility of the address can also be easily checked using some online tools or Bitcoin wallet software.

When judging the validity of a Bitcoin address, we need to consider multiple factors. First, the length and character composition of the address are the basis for verifying the validity. The standard length of a Bitcoin address is 34 characters, which may contain numbers 0-9 and letters A-F, a-f, etc. If the length of the address does not meet the standard, or contains illegal characters, then we can directly determine that the address is invalid.

In addition, it is also very important to use the Bitcoin address checksum algorithm. Bitcoin addresses use an encoding method called Base58Check, which includes a checksum for the address. Specifically, Base58Check encoding appends a checksum to the end of the address to ensure that there are no errors when the address is entered. By hashing the address, we can get a checksum and compare it with the checksum at the end of the address. If the two match, it can be confirmed that the address is valid.

In order to better understand the validity and compressibility of Bitcoin addresses, we can use some real-world examples. For example, when a user conducts a Bitcoin transaction, he enters an address "1Q2TWHE3QGUWTE8QGVY5JY8D3F8B5D8W5". After checking, it is found that the address not only meets the length requirements, but also passes the checksum test, so its validity can be confirmed. However, if the user enters the address "1Q2TWHE3QGUWTE8QGVY5JY8D3F8B5D8W5X", due to an extra character, the system will prompt that the address is invalid.

In actual operation, many novice users may suffer losses due to lack of understanding of the compressibility and validity of Bitcoin addresses. Therefore, it is very necessary to understand these basic knowledge and master the relevant inspection methods. Especially when conducting large transactions, ensuring the correctness and validity of the address is an important link that cannot be ignored.

In addition to the basic checking methods mentioned above, users can also use some professional tools to assist in determining the validity of a Bitcoin address. For example, many Bitcoin wallets and exchanges provide address verification functions. Users only need to paste the address into the corresponding input box, and the system will automatically verify and return the result. This method is not only convenient, but also can effectively reduce the occurrence of human errors.

For those who want to learn more about Bitcoin technology, learning how to manually verify the validity of a Bitcoin address is also an important skill. By learning the construction principle, encoding method, and verification algorithm of Bitcoin addresses, users can better master the basic knowledge of Bitcoin and be more confident in actual operations.

Security is always an important consideration when using Bitcoin. In addition to checking the compressibility and validity of the address, users should also pay attention to protecting their private keys and mnemonics to prevent hacking or loss. Ensuring transactions are conducted in a secure environment and using reputable exchanges and wallet software is also an important measure to protect the security of assets.

In addition, with the continuous development of blockchain technology, more and more innovative projects have begun to emerge, such as Ethereum, Ripple, etc. Although these emerging digital currencies are different from Bitcoin in terms of technical implementation, they also have similarities in address generation and validity checking. Therefore, mastering the relevant knowledge of Bitcoin addresses is also important for understanding other digital currencies.

Finally, it is worth mentioning that as the Bitcoin market continues to mature, more and more people are beginning to pay attention to the investment and application of digital currencies. Whether participating in transactions, mining, or storing value, understanding the compressibility and validity of Bitcoin addresses is a basic quality that every digital currency user must have. Through continuous learning and practice, users can not only improve their technical level, but also seize more investment opportunities in this market full of opportunities.

As an emerging financial tool, the technology and concepts behind Bitcoin are profoundly changing the traditional financial system. Whether it is checking the compressibility and validity of Bitcoin addresses or understanding the entire digital currency ecosystem, it is indispensable knowledge for us in this era. I hope that every Bitcoin user can gain knowledge, improve skills, and ultimately achieve asset preservation and appreciation in the journey of exploring digital currencies.

The four most famous international exchanges:

Binance INTL	OKX INTL	Gate.io INTL	Huobi INTL
China Line　APP DL	China Line　APP DL	China Line　APP DL	China Line　APP DL

Note: The above exchange logo is the official website registration link, and the text is the APP download link.

How to check whether a Bitcoin address is compressed? How to determine whether a Bitcoin address is valid? First, you can check it through the private key. The private key can directly tell whether the Bitcoin address is compressed, but the Bitcoin address cannot directly tell whether it is compressed.
Many people want to ask how to check whether a Bitcoin address is compressed? So let us introduce it to you in detail below. I hope this article can answer everyone’s doubts and let everyone understand its generation and function, as well as its advantages and optimizations for computer systems and algorithms. Let us answer it for you together.
This strategy is slower than me explaining the entire Bitcoin protocol in one go. However, while you can understand the mechanics of Bitcoin with this one-shot explanation, it is difficult to understand why Bitcoin is designed the way it is. The advantage of a slower, iterative explanation is that it gives us a clearer understanding of each element of Bitcoin.
Finally, I should mention that I am a newbie to the Bitcoin protocol. I have been following it since 2011 (including cryptocurrencies since the late 1990s), but only started to seriously study the details of the Bitcoin protocol in early 2013. I would appreciate anyone correcting my misunderstandings. In this post, I also mention some "author's problems" - problems I have pondered while writing. You may find these interesting, but you can also skip them completely. Don't miss the point.
How to tell if a Bitcoin address is valid
func IsValidForAdress(adress []byte) bool {
version_public_checksumBytes := Base58Decode(adress)
checkSumBytes :=
version_public_checksumBytes[len(version_public_checksumBytes) -
addressChecksumLen:]
version_ripemd160 :=
version_public_checksumBytes[:len(version_public_checksumBytes) -
addressChecksumLen]
checkBytes := CheckSum(version_ripemd160)
if bytes.Compare(checkSumBytes,checkBytes) == 0 {
return true
}
return false
}
Description: 1. Base-decode the address to get a byte array of version+public+checksum.
2. Take the last 4 bytes of the byte array of version+public+checksum as the checksum value
3. Take the first 21 bytes of the version+public+checksum byte array and perform two 256 hash operations. Take the first 4 bytes of the result value and compare it with the checksum value in the second step. If they are consistent, the address is valid.
Due to the data storage structure of Bitcoin, it is impossible to directly use Bitcoin's original API to query the historical transaction data of a specified address. Therefore, the most naive solution is to store each transaction data on the Bitcoin blockchain in your own database, and then create an index for the transaction address information (such as Scriptpubkey, pubkey or the address itself), so that you can query freely and efficiently on the database.