Proposal discussion: BIP39 native-language display wordlists

The email discusses a common issue encountered by users when dealing with seed phrases in cryptocurrency wallets, particularly when there is ambiguity between different types of seed phrase formats such as BIP39 and TZUR. When a user inherits or receives a seed phrase that is not clearly labeled, they may face difficulties in determining the correct format, leading to potential errors in wallet recovery. The example given illustrates a scenario where a user has a French seed phrase but lacks information about the format, which could be either BIP39 or TZUR, highlighting the need for clear communication and support within the wallet interface to guide the user appropriately.

To resolve such issues, the suggestion is made to modify the size of the TZUR wordlists to match the encoding capacity of BIP39 wordlists but in a slightly different configuration. For example, instead of using 12 words encoded with 11 bits each, it proposes encoding 11 words with 12 bits per word. This approach maintains the same number of bits but alters their interpretation, facilitating easier mapping back to BIP39 if necessary. Furthermore, the proposal includes increasing the word list size to reduce the probability of random word overlap with BIP39, thereby decreasing the chance of format misidentification.

The email also explores various strategies for adjusting wordlists to optimize security and clarity. These include using non-standard sizes for the wordlists that are not powers of two, applying base-x mathematics for entropy reconstruction, and selectively defining specific word positions to use non-BIP39 words to ensure distinctiveness from BIP39 encoding. Each of these suggestions aims to enhance the user's ability to accurately identify and utilize the correct seed phrase format without requiring additional external information, thus preserving the integrity and functionality of cryptographic wallets.