- The previous text only refers to onchain addresses, but BIP22 URIs,
QR-encoded BIP22 URIs, and offchain invoices (like BOLT11) are the way
many users will now exchange payment information, so the tipbox is
generalized to refer to both addresses and invoices.
- A few words are added to clarify why sharing an address or invoice
doesn't create security risks: Bitcoin is push-only.
- We mention the privacy downsides of sharing addresses or invoices and
encourage generating new addresses for each payment.
are a variety of Bitcoin addresses and formats for sharing Bitcoin
invoices. Addresses and invoices can be shared with other bitcoin users
who can use them to send bitcoin directly to your wallet. You can share
an address or invoice with other people without worrying about the
security of your bitcoins. Unlike a bank account number, nobody who
learns one of your Bitcoin addresses can withdraw money from your wallet--you
must initiate all spends. However, if you give two people the same
address, they will be able to see how much bitcoin the other person sent
you. If you post your address publicly, everyone will be able to see
how much bitcoin other people sent you. To protect your privacy, you
should generate a new invoice with a new address each time you request a
payment.
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In most wallets, there is no association between a Bitcoin address and any externally identifiable information including the user's identity. Until the moment an address is referenced as the recipient of value in a transaction posted on the bitcoin ledger, the Bitcoin address is simply part of the vast number of possible addresses that are valid in bitcoin. Only once an address has been associated with a transaction does it become part of the known addresses in the network.