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Bitcoin Address Formats Summary

U
Written by UKey Wallet

Address Type

Starts With

Characteristics

Best Use Case

Legacy (P2PKH)

1

Original format; highest fees; universal support.

Use only with extremely old wallets.

Nested SegWit (P2SH)

3

Great compatibility "wrapper"; supports Multi-Sig.

Use when balancing compatibility & fees.

Native SegWit (Bech32)

bc1q

Modern standard; low fees; includes error detection.

Recommended for daily use.

Taproot (P2TR)

bc1p

Latest upgrade; best privacy; supports complex scripts.

Use for enhanced privacy or advanced features.

Key Takeaways:

  • Taproot (bc1p) : An evolution of SegWit. By "merging" multiple signatures into one, it makes complex transactions look like simple ones on the blockchain, significantly boosting privacy.

  • Fee Logic : Generally, the newer the address format (bc1p or bc1q), the lower the transaction fees you will pay.

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