# Bitcoin Improvement Proposals (BIPs)

BIPs are design documents proposing changes or standards for Bitcoin. Some change consensus; many just help wallets work together. See the key ones.

Canonical page: https://mybitcoinexplorer.com/learn/bitcoin-improvement-proposals-bips
Topic: Nodes and the network
Published: 2026-10-29
Updated: 2026-10-30


## A shared way to propose ideas
> Diagram: The path from idea to adopted change — Idea: mailing list → Draft BIP: written up → Review: open discussion → Code: implemented, tested → *Adoption: users choose to run it

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)](https://mybitcoinexplorer.com/learn/segwit) (BIP 141), [Taproot](https://mybitcoinexplorer.com/learn/taproot) (BIPs 340–342) |
| Peer services | Compact blocks (BIP 152) |
| Wallet standards | [BIP 39](https://mybitcoinexplorer.com/learn/seed-phrases-bip39), [BIP 32](https://mybitcoinexplorer.com/learn/hd-wallets-bip32), [BIP 84](https://mybitcoinexplorer.com/learn/derivation-paths) |
| Informational / process | BIP 2 (how BIPs work) |

## BIPs you'll keep meeting
| BIP | What |
|---|---|
| 16 | [Pay to script hash (P2SH)](https://mybitcoinexplorer.com/learn/p2sh) |
| 32 | HD wallets |
| 39 | Seed words |
| 65 / 112 | [Timelocks: CLTV and CSV](https://mybitcoinexplorer.com/learn/timelocks-cltv-csv) |
| 125 | Opt-in [Replace-by-fee (RBF)](https://mybitcoinexplorer.com/learn/replace-by-fee-rbf) |
| 141 | SegWit |
| 173 / 350 | [Bech32 and Bech32m](https://mybitcoinexplorer.com/learn/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](https://mybitcoinexplorer.com/learn/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.

## Related lessons

- [Soft forks and hard forks](https://mybitcoinexplorer.com/learn/soft-forks-and-hard-forks)
- [Consensus rules](https://mybitcoinexplorer.com/learn/consensus-rules)
- [Seed phrases (BIP 39)](https://mybitcoinexplorer.com/learn/seed-phrases-bip39)
- [Taproot](https://mybitcoinexplorer.com/learn/taproot)