Bitcoin

Bech32

By Paul Brock·Updated on 22-04-2026
TL;DR

Bech32 is the modern encoding format for Bitcoin addresses (SegWit and Taproot), designed for error detection and readability.

Bech32 uses only lowercase letters and digits (no visually confusing '1', 'b', 'i', 'o') plus a strong checksum detecting up to 4 typos. For Taproot, bech32m (BIP350) was introduced — slightly different checksum algorithm. Addresses are case-insensitive and more QR-efficient than base58.

Example

bc1qxy2kgdygjrsqtzq2n0yrf2493p83kkfjhx0wlh — type 'bc1Qxy...' and the wallet still recognises the address. Wrong character? Checksum fails and the wallet refuses payment.

Frequently asked questions

Bech32 vs bech32m?

Bech32: SegWit v0 addresses (bc1q...). Bech32m: SegWit v1+ like Taproot (bc1p...). Technically small difference in checksum constant.

Related terms

Bitcoin addressSegWitTaprootPublic key

Further reading

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