Antminer X9
Monero ASIC Miner
1000KH
HASHRATE
2.47W/KH
EFFICIENCY
2470W
POWER
£861.31
EST. MONTHLY
205
DAYS
EST. ROI
This guide explains BIP 87 Hierarchy for Deterministic Multisig Wallets in plain English. It covers the problem behind the BIP, why it matters and whether the proposal is part of Bitcoin today.
TL;DR
- What it is: BIP 87 is a Complete application-layer specification for a script-agnostic hierarchy for deterministic multisignature wallets. It retains the familiar purpose, coin type, account, change and address-index levels, while leaving script selection and deterministic key sorting to output descriptors.
- Why it matters: BIP 87 reduces multisig derivation ambiguity by making the key hierarchy script-agnostic and the descriptor explicit. Recovery succeeds only when seeds, cosigner public data, origins and policy are preserved together.
- Current position: BIP 87 is a Complete application-layer specification for a script-agnostic hierarchy for deterministic multisignature wallets.
BIP 87 Hierarchy for Deterministic Multisig Wallets in simple English
BIP 87 Hierarchy for Deterministic Multisig Wallets: The BIP is Complete, Applications and Specification. It standardises wallet coordination and recovery conventions. It does not change Bitcoin consensus or make a multisig policy secure by itself.
Simple example
A node operator is checking BIP 87 Hierarchy for Deterministic Multisig Wallets. The account level must increase for each new wallet or coordinated key record.
Key terms in plain English
- BIP:
- Bitcoin Improvement Proposal: a document describing a proposed rule, standard or process. Its status must be checked separately.
- Consensus:
- The shared rules full nodes use to decide whether blocks and transactions are valid.
- Node:
- A computer running Bitcoin software that checks data and communicates with other peers.
Status and purpose
The BIP is Complete, Applications and Specification. It standardises wallet coordination and recovery conventions; it does not change Bitcoin consensus or make a multisig policy secure by itself.
Derivation path
The defined shape is m / purpose hardened / coin_type hardened / account hardened / change / address_index. Purpose is 87, while coin type separates mainnet from test networks.
Descriptor boundary
Extended keys are derived independently of script type. A descriptor specifies the actual multisig script, threshold, key origins and ordering, including sortedmulti where chosen.
Account isolation
The account level must increase for each new wallet or coordinated key record. Reuse across wallets, script types or signature systems can create privacy and cryptographic hazards.
Receiving and change
Change 0 is the external receiving branch and 1 the internal change branch; address indexes advance from zero. Both branches need durable allocation and concurrent-use control.
Discovery and gap limit
The document sets a gap limit of 20 unused addresses and says both receiving and change descriptors should be imported. A coordinator must not silently issue beyond recoverable discovery state.
How specialists test it
Developers test the proposal with made-up data on an isolated test network. They check normal cases and deliberately invalid cases. Different implementations should reach the same result before anyone relies on the proposal.
Frequently asked questions
What is the main point of BIP 87 Hierarchy for Deterministic Multisig Wallets?
BIP 87 Hierarchy for Deterministic Multisig Wallets: The BIP is Complete, Applications and Specification. It standardises wallet coordination and recovery conventions.
For BIP 87 Hierarchy for Deterministic Multisig Wallets, what should a beginner know about status and purpose?
The BIP is Complete, Applications and Specification. It standardises wallet coordination and recovery conventions.
For BIP 87 Hierarchy for Deterministic Multisig Wallets, what should a beginner know about derivation path?
The defined shape is m / purpose hardened / coin_type hardened / account hardened / change / address_index.
For BIP 87 Hierarchy for Deterministic Multisig Wallets, what should a beginner know about descriptor boundary?
Extended keys are derived independently of script type. A descriptor specifies the actual multisig script, threshold, key origins and ordering, including sortedmulti where chosen.
Conclusion
BIP 87 reduces multisig derivation ambiguity by making the key hierarchy script-agnostic and the descriptor explicit. Recovery succeeds only when seeds, cosigner public data, origins and policy are preserved together.
Primary sources
Check the current specification status and the documentation for the exact implementation you operate before moving production funds or changing a mining node.
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