Encoders / DecodersLesson 18Free preview

Base58 Encode/Decode

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Summary

Base58 is a 58 character-based encoding that intentionally eliminates easily interchangeable symbols, such as zero, O, I, l, plus, and slash. The alphabet is widely used in Bitcoin addresses and human-readable data formats. Base58 does not use padding, so the length of the result varies. Like Base64, Base58 is non-encrypted and does not provide confidentiality.

Key points

Using 58 characters without 0, O, I, l, +, and /
No padding so the output length varies
It's widely used on Bitcoin addresses and encrypted keys
It's not encryption; it's just changing the representation of the data.
The alphabet reduces errors when data is read or typed manually.

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