Understanding Bitcoin Script: The Programming Language Behind Bitcoin Transactions (2024)

FAQs

What is the script language of a Bitcoin transaction? ›

Bitcoin's scripting language is simply called Script. All Bitcoin scripts are written in Script. It is a simple language that is not Turing complete, meaning it lacks several logical functions, including loops.

C++ is an iconic programming language because it was used by Satoshi Nakamoto himself to create the Bitcoin chain. And this means that the whole altchain family, including Litecoin, PIVX, Qtum, Dogecoin, and many more, is built with C++.

Bitcoin script is a simple forth-like stack based language, which in simple terms means that it operates using a first-in-last-out principle (FILO) stack based data structure.

The five standard types of transaction scripts are pay-to-public-key-hash (P2PKH), public-key, multi-signature (limited to 15 keys), pay-to-script-hash (P2SH), and data output (OP_RETURN), which are described in more detail in the following sections.

Satoshi Nakamoto is the name used by the presumed pseudonymous person or persons who developed Bitcoin, authored the Bitcoin white paper, and created and deployed Bitcoin's original reference implementation. As part of the implementation, Nakamoto also devised the first blockchain database.

Pay to script hash (P2SH) is a type of bitcoin transaction that allows the sender to commit to a script, or set of conditions, that must be met in order to spend the funds.

Here's an interesting nugget of information: Bitcoin's code comprises 77,000 lines, 70,000 of which are written in the C++ programming language. When it first came into existence, the code consisted of only 14,000 lines, which is a very small number, especially in today's reality.

Solidity still remains the number one choice among blockchain programmers, with hundreds of projects built using this language. The best-known projects on Solidity are as follows: Ethereum. The first example coming to everyone's mind when they deal with Solidity use cases is Ethereum.

The Bitcoin blockchain uses the SHA256 algorithm, which produces a 32-byte hash.

Your wallet is encrypted on your device with your personal password. Your password acts as your decryption key to both lock and unlock your wallet — your wallet cannot be accessed without it.

How to check bitcoin transaction hash? ›

Using a blockchain explorer is a useful way to locate a transaction hash/hash ID if you don't have access to your cryptocurrency wallet. Simply enter the sender or recipient address and the date of the transaction to search for the relevant transaction hash.

Bitcoin uses a scripting system for transactions. Forth-like, Script is simple, stack-based, and processed from left to right. It is intentionally not Turing-complete, with no loops. a signature to prove ownership of the private key corresponding to the public key just provided.

The ScriptPubKey is a script which controls how bitcoin can be spent. In english, most bitcoin scripts translate as follows: “In order to spend this bitcoin, one must produce a signature belonging to this public key…”, followed by a public key.

Bitcoin script encoding is a way of writing and executing smart contracts on the Bitcoin blockchain. It is a low-level, stack-based, and Turing-incomplete language that can control how bitcoins are spent and transferred.

Bitcoin Core, the original Bitcoin client, is mostly written in C++, but other languages like Python, Java, and GO are also used. Bitcoin Script is a simple language used for transaction processing on the Bitcoin blockchain, and it's not Turing complete, meaning its functions are limited.

Now what happens during script execution is as follows: First, the original public key of the owner (which is in the scriptSig) of the funds is duplicated. The duplicate public key then goes through a hashing process. In this process, a hash is applied first SHA-256 and a RIPEMD-160 hash is then applied to the result.

Bitcoin transactions are broadcast between peers in a serialized byte format, called raw format. It is this form of a transaction which is SHA256(SHA256()) hashed to create the TXID and, ultimately, the merkle root of a block containing the transaction—making the transaction format part of the consensus rules.

Bitcoin script encoding is a way of writing and executing smart contracts on the Bitcoin blockchain. It is a low-level, stack-based, and Turing-incomplete language that can control how bitcoins are spent and transferred.