BIP

Bitcoin Improvement Proposal (BIP) is a design document that outlines proposed changes, standards, or guidelines for the Bitcoin protocol, reference implementations, or ecosystem interfaces. BIPs are intended to be public, independent of any single client, and provide a formal mechanism for proposing and discussing improvements in a transparent way.

BIPs cover protocol changes, client interfaces, and non-consensus guidance. The process is described in BIP-1, which outlines the lifecycle, roles, and governance for the BIP repository. Proposals are categorized as standards-track or informational and progress from draft to final or superseded as consensus and implementations mature.

BIPs are maintained in the bitcoin/bips GitHub repository. Anyone can submit by creating a new BIP with metadata and a detailed specification. The community reviews proposals on GitHub and mailing lists; editors assign numbers and maintain status. Adoption of consensus changes requires coordination among major client implementations and network activation, with testing on testnets and post-deployment monitoring.

Notable BIPs include BIP-32 (hierarchical deterministic wallets), BIP-39 (mnemonic codes for generating deterministic keys), BIP-44 (multi-account hierarchical path), BIP-21 (URI for payment requests), BIP-70 (payment protocol), and BIP-141 (Segregated Witness). These illustrate how BIPs shape wallets, payments, and protocol evolution.

BIPs promote openness and interoperability across the Bitcoin ecosystem. While many proposals are informational or guidance, others become widely adopted standards or rules that influence how Bitcoin operates and how users interact with it.