From f33ea7196ab879c619f941a4dbfee39ebc5ca35d Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: "David A. Harding" Date: Fri, 30 May 2014 23:18:17 -0400 Subject: [PATCH] The "Why" For Standard Transactions, Plus Std Tx Tweaks Based on a discussion tonight on IRC with comments from @gmaxwell, bitcoin428, and kadoban. * Add a new introduction to the Standard Transaction section which explains the purpose behind standard transactions so readers understand that these aren't limitations for limitation's sake. More specifically, note that bug-prevention isn't the only reason for standard transactions---thanks to @gmaxwell for explaining the forward compatablity reason to me. * Make it clear that isStandard() only applies to loose transactions and that it doesn't apply to txes in blocks. Thanks to bitcoin428 for pointing out this source of confusion. * Make it cleare that a non-standard redeemScript is a script that would not pass isStandard(). Thanks to kadoban for pointing out the absense of that information. --- _includes/guide_transactions.md | 40 ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++----- 1 file changed, 35 insertions(+), 5 deletions(-) diff --git a/_includes/guide_transactions.md b/_includes/guide_transactions.md index 4a05a02f..bee136a2 100644 --- a/_includes/guide_transactions.md +++ b/_includes/guide_transactions.md @@ -269,8 +269,33 @@ redeemScript, so P2SH scripts are as secure as P2PKH pubkey hashes. {% autocrossref %} -Care must be taken to avoid non-standard output scripts. As of Bitcoin Core -0.9, the standard script types are: +After the discovery of several dangerous bugs in early versions of +Bitcoin, a test was added which only accepted transactions from the +network if they had an output script which matched a small set of +believed-to-be-safe templates and if the rest of the transaction didn't +violate another small set of rules enforcing good network behavior. This +is the `isStandard()` test, and transactions which pass it are called +standard transactions. + +Non-standard transactions---those that fail the test---may be accepted +by nodes not using the default Bitcoin Core settings. If they are +included in blocks, they will also avoid the isStandard test and be +processed. However, miners who produce blocks with non-standard +transactions put their block reward at risk---if a transaction +produces a bug, the block which includes it will likely be orphaned by +other miners. + +Besides making it more difficult for someone to attack Bitcoin for +free by broadcasting harmful transactions, the standard transaction +test also helps prevent users from creating transactions today that +would make adding new transaction features in the future more +difficult. For example, as described above, each transaction includes +a version number---if users started arbitrarily changing the version +number, it would become useless as a tool for introducing +backwards-incompatible features. + + +As of Bitcoin Core 0.9, the standard script types are: **Pubkey Hash (P2PKH)** @@ -378,14 +403,19 @@ accept, broadcast, nor mine your transaction. When you try to broadcast your transaction to a peer running the default settings, you will receive an error. -Unfortunately, if you create a non-standard redeemScript, hash it, and use the hash +Unfortunately, if you create a redeemScript, hash it, and use the hash in a P2SH output, the network sees only the hash, so it will accept the output as valid no matter what the redeemScript says. When you go to -spend that output, however, peers and miners using the default settings -will see the non-standard redeemScript and reject it. It will be +spend that output, peers and miners using the default settings will +check the redeemScript to see whether or not it's a standard output +script. If it isn't, they won't process it further---so it will be impossible to spend that output until you find a miner who disables the default settings. +Note: standard transactions are designed to protect and help the +network, not prevent you from making mistakes. It's easy to create +standard transactions which make the satoshis sent to them unspendable. + As of Bitcoin Core 0.9, standard transactions must also meet the following conditions: