Draft BIP: Well-Known Bitcoin Identity Endpoint

May 26 - Jun 2, 2025

  • The recent discussions within the Bitcoin Development Mailing List have brought to light AvivB's draft for a Bitcoin Improvement Proposal (BIP) aimed at refining the transaction processes within the Bitcoin ecosystem.

The proposal, known as the "Well-Known Bitcoin Identity Endpoint," proposes an innovative approach to enhance on-chain payment transactions by adopting a simple, HTTPS-based protocol. This protocol is designed to facilitate the discovery and retrieval of payment and contact information related to Lightning Addresses. By implementing such a mechanism, the proposal seeks to streamline transaction experiences, making them smoother and more efficient for users. Additionally, it extends the functionality beyond mere payment processing to include various types of payments and identity metadata, thereby broadening its application and utility in the digital currency sphere.

AvivB's initiative to generalize the method used by Lightning Address emphasizes the potential benefits of simplifying user interactions with blockchain technology. This includes making transaction executions and access to essential information more straightforward. The proposed BIP highlights an ongoing effort to innovate and improve the cryptocurrency community's infrastructure, focusing on user-friendliness and efficiency in Bitcoin payments. Interested parties are encouraged to review and contribute to the refinement of this proposal. The draft BIP, which outlines the specifics of this innovative approach and serves as a basis for further development, is available for public viewing and feedback here.

Feedback from other programmers, like Murch, points out the importance of clearly differentiating this proposal from existing schemes, such as the Lightning Address and LNURL, to avoid confusion due to similarities in formatting. Moreover, there's an acknowledgment of the need to clarify how the proposed system would communicate paysats distinctly from these existing formats. Such constructive feedback suggests that while the proposal is a solid starting point, further clarification and differentiation could enhance its clarity and effectiveness.

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