BIPs are design documents proposing changes or standards for Bitcoin. Some change consensus; many just help wallets work together. See the key ones.
A shared way to propose ideas
A BIP is a public document describing a change or a standard: what it does, why, and how. They're discussed openly on mailing lists and in the BIPs repository on GitHub.
Kinds of BIP
| Type | Example |
|---|---|
| Consensus (soft fork) | Segregated Witness (SegWit) (BIP 141), Taproot (BIPs 340–342) |
| Peer services | Compact blocks (BIP 152) |
| Wallet standards | BIP 39, BIP 32, BIP 84 |
| Informational / process | BIP 2 (how BIPs work) |
BIPs you'll keep meeting
| BIP | What |
|---|---|
| 16 | Pay to script hash (P2SH) |
| 32 | HD wallets |
| 39 | Seed words |
| 65 / 112 | Timelocks: CLTV and CSV |
| 125 | Opt-in Replace-by-fee (RBF) |
| 141 | SegWit |
| 173 / 350 | Bech32 and Bech32m |
| 340–342 | Schnorr, Taproot, Tapscript |
A BIP is not a decision
Writing a BIP doesn't make it happen. Consensus changes need implementation, review, and broad voluntary adoption. See Soft forks and hard forks.
How to follow Bitcoin development
- The bitcoin/bips repository on GitHub for the documents themselves.
- The bitcoin-dev mailing list for proposals and debate.
- Bitcoin Core release notes to see what actually shipped.
BIP numbers you may hear
BIP 9 (signalling soft forks), BIP 32/39/44/84/86 (wallets), BIP 125 (RBF), BIP 141 (SegWit), BIP 174 (PSBT), BIP 340–342 (Taproot), BIP 350 (Bech32m).
Key takeaways
- BIPs are public proposals for Bitcoin changes and standards.
- Some change consensus; many standardize wallets and networking.
- A BIP alone doesn't change Bitcoin; adoption does.
Common questions
Who can write a BIP?
Anyone. It needs to meet the format and be discussed publicly.
Where can I read BIPs?
In the bitcoin/bips repository on GitHub.
Does every BIP get adopted?
No. Many are proposals that never gain enough support.
Are BIPs only about consensus?
No. Most are wallet and network standards that don't change consensus.