Ethereum Address Types: Legacy, Segwit, and Native Segwit (Bech32)

The Ethereum network has three primary address types: Legacy, Segwit, and Native Segwit. Each type offers different benefits and limitations for users and developers.

Legacy Bitcoin Addresses

Legacy Bitcoin addresses are the most commonly used format and accepted by both Bitcoin and Ethereum. They consist of eight characters, including a hyphen (-) separating the first six characters from the last two, which represent a checksum (a sequence of numbers that ensures the address is correct). Legacy Bitcoin addresses were introduced to allow easy transfers between different blockchain networks.

Segwit Addresses

Segwit addresses (short for Segregated Witness) are an improvement over traditional Bitcoin addresses. Introduced in 2017 as part of the Segregated Witness protocol, SegWit addresses are more efficient and easier to understand than their traditional counterparts. They also offer additional features such as shuffling and recovery that can prevent double-spending attacks.

Segwit addresses consist of six characters, including a hyphen (-) separating the first five characters from the last. The second-to-last character is the checksum.

Parent Segwit Addresses (Bech32)

Original Segwit addresses are an evolution of Segwit addresses. They use the Bech32 (Bitcoin Cash 2) format, which consists of two lines: a long line followed by a short line. This format offers several advantages over the traditional Segwit format:

• Shorter checksum: The Bech32 format uses a shorter checksum than the original Segwit format.

• Easier verification

  

  : The Bech32 format makes verification and troubleshooting easier.

The original Segwit addresses were introduced in 2018 as part of the Bitcoin Cash (BCH) protocol. They are now widely used on both the Bitcoin and Ethereum networks.

Can one address be interoperable with another?

In theory, any two address types can be compatible with each other. However, it is important to understand that the Ethereum network is designed to work seamlessly between different blockchain networks.

Ethereum has built-in support for several addresses, including:

• Legacy Bitcoin addresses: can be used in combination with Segwit and native Segwit addresses.

• Bitcoin Cash (BCH) addresses

  : can also be used with Segwit and native Segwit addresses.

• ETH-2 addresses: These are new Ethereum addresses that use the Bech32 format, which includes legacy and Segwit checksums.

However, there are some limitations that may arise when sending transactions between different networks using the same address type:

• Checksum mismatch: If the checksum is incorrect or missing, it may cause transaction confirmation errors.

• Checksum mismatch between Bitcoin Cash and Ethereum: Due to differences in checksum calculation algorithms, BCH and ETH addresses may not match correctly.

Conclusion

In short, all three address types (Legacy, Segwit, and Native Segwit) are interoperable with each other. However, the Ethereum network is designed to work seamlessly between different blockchain networks, ensuring that users can send transactions between them using different address types.

If you are a developer or user looking to explore multiple blockchain networks, it is important to understand the differences and limitations between these addresses to ensure successful transaction verification.