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SegWit Address

1 min read
Pronunciation
[seg-wit uh-dress]
Analogy
SegWit addresses are like upgraded mailing labels that remove extra packaging, reducing postage costs.
Definition
A Bitcoin address using Segregated Witness (P2WPKH or P2WSH), encoded in Bech32 with prefix “bc1”, enabling lower fees and malleability fixes.
Key Points Intro
SegWit benefits include:
Key Points

Lower fees: Witness data discounted in weight.

Malleability fix: Separates signatures from tx data.

Bech32 encoding: Error‑detecting, lowercase.

Compatibility: Native or nested in P2SH.

Example
A native SegWit P2WPKH address looks like bc1qw508d6qejxtdg4y5r3zarvary0c5xw7kygt080.
Technical Deep Dive
Bech32: HRP “bc”, data = witness version and program. P2WPKH scriptPubKey: 0 20‑byte pubKeyHash>. Transaction weight calculation treats witness differently.
Security Warning
Some older wallets may not support sending to Bech32; use nested P2SH if needed.
Caveat
Bech32 addresses are case‑sensitive; always use correct casing.
Related Terms
Legacy Address

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