How to sign a message with your bitcoin address?

Utility of signing messages using your Bitcoin address

however What is the real utility of signing messages using your Bitcoin address? As we discussed at the begin, performing this procedure allows you to make populace certain data that can be verified by anyone without major problems and with sum security .
There are a wide variety show of use cases where this feature can be useful. here are some of those consumption cases :

1. Verification of origin of funds. For example, if we have decided to make a purchase using bitcoins from an address, but they ask us to verify that that address and funds are ours, then signing a message with that address solves the problem.
2. Be able to make payments to a specific address safely. For example, they send us a message, and we need to know that the message has not been intercepted and modified (ex: changing the address for payment). To do this, the full text would be signed (where the address to pay also appears) and we will add the digital signature. Thus, the recipient could take the message, the address and the signature and verify that everything is correct.
3. As a preliminary to the configuration of multi-sig or multi-signature purses. If a group of people have decided to create a multisig wallet, a preliminary step could be to verify that we indeed have control of the address that corresponds to us and for this we can sign a message using that address.
4. Be able to prove that you are the owner of an address. This is something that was asked of Craig Wright, because he shouts to the 4 winds that he is Satoshi Nakamoto, but he is not able to demonstrate that he has control over the directions attributed to Satoshi Nakamoto. Simply signing a message with any of the addresses could prove it. One more reason why he is known as a scammer.

At this indicate, it is clear that it is quite a utilitarian function and that it can be adapted to the needs of whoever is going to use it and, with a little creativity, find newfangled and revolutionary scenarios .

Tools to sign and verify messages using your Bitcoin address

however What do we need to be able to use this function? good, the truth is that any Bitcoin wallet with the function “Sign and Verify Messages” allows you to use this affair. Among the wallets with this capacity we can mention :

1. Bitcoin Core, the official Bitcoin software allows you to make use of this function perfectly.
2. Electrum Wallet, is another famous wallet that allows you to use this function without major complications.
3. Trezor WalletThis hardware wallet it also has the function of signing and verifying messages in its interface.
4. Online tools Bitcoin Signature Tool, it allows you perfectly to do that of this function.
5. Open source code libraries, such as bitcoinjs, to create your own programs and ideas.

Signing and Verifying Information Using Bitcoin Core

To know how to handle this function we have chosen to use as an case Bitcoin Core, the official Bitcoin software. The reason for this is that this is the most complete and secure Bitcoin wallet that exists at the consequence, and using this option with this wallet is quite dim-witted .
The inaugural thing you should do is download and install the Bitcoin Core wallet on your computer. To do this, we recommend you go to the official web site and download the adaptation of Bitcoin Core for your operating arrangement. once the facility is arrant, then we can start using the Verify and Sign messages options .

Sign a message using Bitcoin Core

To sign a message using Bitcoin Core, the first thing you will have to do is run the main plan, which will leave you with an interface like this .
At that period, before starting, the foremost thing you should do is make a little shape of the wallet. This is necessary because at the moment the message touch is only supported using the bequest address ( those addresses that start with “ 1 ” ), waiting for the activation of the BIP-322 to enable message signing using all addresses supported by Bitcoin .
In this common sense, the first thing you should do is go to the menu “Configuration” and snap on “Options” .
once there, you must click on “Open Configuration file” and, once the file is open, you must include the watch occupation :

addresstype = legacy

Save the shape and restart the program for the changes to take impression. What this change does is order Bitcoin Core to use bequest addresses by nonpayment to generate our addresses, so we can use the message touch using Bitcoin Core without problems .
now, after making these changes and restarting Bitcoin Core, the adjacent thing will be to generate a new address to be our message key signature base. This address is the one that will allow you to use the function of signing a message. To generate this cover, you must go to the option “To receive” and chink on the button “Create new address for reception” .

warning !

Be identical careful about modifying values ​​in the Bitcoin Core shape file. In this case, our recommendation is valid and recognized by the Bitcoin community and developers, but there may be cases where malicious people can instruct you to gain access to your wallet without realizing it. Always be careful, research what you do before doing it . so our address to use for signing the message is 18FgxNdGSemUZNybpdrgdr1rbdRFbuAwL9
now, to sign a message, the first thing you should do is go to the menu “ Archive” and blue-ribbon “Sign message”, frankincense the be newly windowpane will be displayed before you .
At this point, you must take the address already generated and topographic point it in the field where the address is requested. once this is done, you must write the message to sign, in our case the message is :

This is a proof of message signature using a Bitcoin address, for Bit2Me Academy.

once these two points are made, you should have something like this :
To finish the sign language procedure, you just have to click the button “Sign message”, the consequence is displayed as follows .
The result is a digital signature that is the succeed :

IJQ9jOGl5ZdjmsUNDYmAwUlFqfjp/FfAi5dzdgiQTfjheDYmBxfBq40URLPOoggonqRYtGydTdwmiRn8ZElcSjc=

As you can see, the process is quite childlike, and it does not hide any greater difficulty than doing the few steps correctly .

Verify a message using Bitcoin Core

To verify a message using Bitcoin Core, the process is quite like. First, you must go to the menu “Archive” and blue-ribbon “Verify message”, with which the following window will appear .
At this point, to perform the confirmation you must copy the Bitcoin address that the message is attributed, in this font we will use the address from the previous model, which is : 18FgxNdGSemUZNybpdrgdr1rbdRFbuAwL9 .
The irregular step is, take the original message and copy it in the follow area :

This is a proof of message signature using a Bitcoin address, for Bit2Me Academy.

And finally we place the encode and sign message that is attributed that address, which in our case is :

IJQ9jOGl5ZdjmsUNDYmAwUlFqfjp/FfAi5dzdgiQTfjheDYmBxfBq40URLPOoggonqRYtGydTdwmiRn8ZElcSjc=

By placing all these texts, we will have the keep up :
To finish, we equitable have to press the clitoris “Verify message” and so we can verify the authenticity of the message and that it has surely been issued by whoever controls that address .

Security of this system

surely you wonder if this system is actually safe and can not be broken in some way. If that is one of your concerns, you might like to know that you have nothing to worry about : this function is secure, in fact it is highly secure.
This is potential thanks to the fact that Bitcoin uses the digital signature algorithm ECDSA to perform all these operations, and for the here and now, said algorithm adjacent to the curvature secp256k1, is considered highly safe. In abruptly, the security of both Bitcoin and this function is protected by very mighty cryptography that has not been broken at the moment. To give you an idea of ​​its security system, you should know that this march is based on a superior security than about anyone that you use in your day to day in some processes with on-line banking, message, telephone, …
On the other hand, and as you can see, it is a very simple process, in fact, if you know encoding and decoding systems for messages such as PGP ( or GPG ) you will realize that it works using the lapp basis of principles.

The aim of all this is to provide you with a tool to send and verify information safely and without any kind of mediator for it. As constantly, Bitcoin has been targeting decentralization from its origin and features like these entirely attest to that effort .
Do you want to start enjoying the world of cryptocurrencies? Then it is time to open your Bit2Me user account. It is very easy to do and, in addition, then it is clock time to open your Bit2Me drug user report. It is very easy to do and, in addition, following this link You will get € 5 wholly spare on your inaugural purchase at Bit2Me .