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* [bitcoindev] BIP idea: Timelock-Recovery storage format
@ 2025-12-28 14:21 'Oren' via Bitcoin Development Mailing List
  2026-01-01 13:59 ` [bitcoindev] " waxwing/ AdamISZ
  0 siblings, 1 reply; 4+ messages in thread
From: 'Oren' via Bitcoin Development Mailing List @ 2025-12-28 14:21 UTC (permalink / raw)
  To: Bitcoin Development Mailing List


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Reposting here from BitcoinTalk 
<https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=5569543.0>:

After a short talk with Ava Chow during BTC++ Taiwan, I'm starting this 
thread to discuss whether my idea is BIP-worthy.

Motivation for Timelock-Recovery plans:
Storing seeds for recovery & inheritance is scary.
Pre-signed transactions to a secondary-wallet/custodian, are safer to 
handle and backup due to their immutability.
A single pre-signed transaction with a future nLocktime requires "renewal" 
when the nLocktime deadline is getting close, which could be annoying (i.e. 
if the seed is split over multiple geographic locations).
Covenants/Vaults are still being debated, and could scare less-technical 
Bitcoiners.

Solution:
Pre-signing a pair of transactions:
• Alert/Initiate Transaction: A consolidation transaction that keeps most 
funds on the original wallet (except for a minimal amount that goes to 
anchor-addresses, for CPFP acceleration)
• Recovery Transaction: A transaction that moves the Bitcoin from the 
consolidated UTXO to the secondary-wallet(s), with an nSequence 
relative-locktime that gives the user enough time to move the funds 
elsewhere (assuming they noticed that the Alert transaction was mined, and 
still have the seed or signed an alternative transaction in advance).

Similar to a single pre-signed transaction with a future nLocktime, 
Timelock-Recovery plans will not include new funds that are added to the 
wallet, and will be revoked even if a tiny amount is spent. This mechanism 
is intended for wallets that are going to remain untouched for a long time.

An example implementation can be found in the Timelock Recovery plugin that 
I've implemented for Electrum <https://electrum.org> (merged since Electrum 
v4.6.0b1). Details and demo videos can be found at: 
https://timelockrecovery.com.
The plugin creates a UI for signing the two transactions, then saving them 
either in a PDF file (with detailed manual instructions for 
less-technological Bitcoiners how to broadcast them), or in a *JSON format*.

The BIP will be about the JSON format, which includes not only the raw 
transactions themselves, but also user-information (i.e. name, description, 
destination-labels, wallet-name, wallet-version), and data about the 
transactions (i.e. txids, amounts, fees, input-utxos, anchor-addresses, 
relative-locktime).
A standard JSON format will allow implementing a compatible feature on 
other wallets, as well as apps/servers for monitoring & initiating 
timelock-recovery plans - such as the one being developed by RITREK.com 
<https://ritrek.com> (disclosure: I'm one of RITREK's founders).

Let me know what you think!

Oren

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^ permalink raw reply	[flat|nested] 4+ messages in thread

end of thread, other threads:[~2026-01-01 16:53 UTC | newest]

Thread overview: 4+ messages (download: mbox.gz / follow: Atom feed)
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2025-12-28 14:21 [bitcoindev] BIP idea: Timelock-Recovery storage format 'Oren' via Bitcoin Development Mailing List
2026-01-01 13:59 ` [bitcoindev] " waxwing/ AdamISZ
2026-01-01 16:18   ` 'Oren' via Bitcoin Development Mailing List
2026-01-01 16:49     ` 'Oren' via Bitcoin Development Mailing List

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