> bitcoin | crypto | unambiguous <
// Base58 encoding without confusing characters - used by Bitcoin and cryptocurrencies
Cryptocurrency Ready
Industry standard encoding used by Bitcoin, Ripple, and other cryptocurrencies.
No Ambiguity
Excludes confusing characters (0, O, I, l) for error-free manual transcription.
Space Efficient
More compact than Base32 while maintaining human readability.
>> technical info
How Base58 Works:
Base58 uses 58 alphanumeric characters, excluding 0, O, I, and l to prevent confusion. It's the standard for Bitcoin addresses and many blockchain applications.
Example:
"Hello" → 9Ajdvzr
Why Use Base58:
- >Standard for Bitcoin addresses
- >No visually ambiguous characters
- >More efficient than Base32/36
- >Widely adopted in blockchain
- >Human-readable and copyable
>> frequently asked questions
What is Base58 encoding?
Base58 is a binary-to-text encoding scheme that uses 58 alphanumeric characters, specifically designed to avoid visually ambiguous characters. It was created by Satoshi Nakamoto for Bitcoin addresses.
Why does Base58 exclude certain characters?
Base58 excludes 0 (zero), O (capital o), I (capital i), and l (lowercase L) because these characters can be easily confused when written or displayed, reducing transcription errors.
Where is Base58 commonly used?
Base58 is primarily used in cryptocurrency applications, including Bitcoin addresses, IPFS hashes, and other blockchain identifiers where human readability is important.
Is Base58 case-sensitive?
Yes, Base58 is case-sensitive. Both uppercase and lowercase letters are used and represent different values, which allows for more compact encoding.