Ethereum: Difference between Public Bitcoin Address and Hash 160 Address?

Ethereum: Difference Between Bitcoin Public Address and Hash 160 Address

When working with Ethereum, you may come across two addresses that seem similar at first glance: the Bitcoin Public Address (PBA) and the Hash 160 Address. While they may seem identical, there are some key differences between these two addresses.

Bitcoin Public Address (PBA)

The PBA is a unique identifier for each public address on the Ethereum network. It is a string of characters that represents a specific Ethereum account. When you receive Ether (ETH) or other ERC-20 tokens from another Ethereum user, their PBA will be sent to your Ethereum wallet as proof of ownership.

Here are some reasons why it is called a “Bitcoin address”:

• Unique: Each PBA is unique and cannot be reused.

• Hashed version: The first three characters (4 hex digits) are a hash of the account balance before fees are added. This ensures that the same address can never receive Ether or other tokens again.

• Domain name: In some cases, this is called a “Domain name” because it looks like a domain name.

Hash address 160

Hash address 160, on the other hand, is another way to represent a public Ethereum address. It is similar to PBA but uses a different format:

• Four hex digits

  : The first four characters (4 hex digits) are a hash of the account balance before fees are added.

• Hash 160: This hash is more collision-resistant and is often referred to as “hash 160”.

Key Differences

So why do we have both PBA and Hash 160? Here are some key differences:

• Purpose: The primary purpose of PBA is to serve as a unique identifier for an Ethereum account. Hash 160 serves a similar purpose but with additional security features.

• Security: Hash 160 has additional security features, such as collision resistance and increased durability, compared to PBA.

• Compatibility: Hash 160 is compatible with both the Ethereum mainnet and testnet networks.

When to use each address

To illustrate the difference:

• Use PBA when:

+ You receive Ether or other ERC-20 tokens from another user as proof of ownership.

+ You want to represent an account on the Ethereum network in a simple, human-readable format.

• Use Hash 160 Address when:

+ You need to store and retrieve accounts securely, with added protection against collisions.

+ You are working with legacy or older blockchain versions that do not support PBA.

In summary, while both PBA and Hash 160 Address are used to represent public Ethereum addresses, they serve different purposes and provide additional security features. Understanding the differences between these two addresses will help you navigate the world of Ethereum more effectively.