Converting Ethereum Cashaddr (bech32) to Legacy Bitcoin Cash Address Format
Ethereum’s Cashaddr (bech32) has been adopted by some users as a convenient way to address transactions on the Ethereum network. However, this format is not directly compatible with legacy Bitcoin Cash wallets and blockchains. In this article, we will explore how to convert Ethereum bech32 addresses generated for Bitcoin Cash to their equivalent legacy Bitcoin Cash addresses.
What is bech32?
Bech32 is a standardized format used across multiple cryptocurrencies, including Ethereum. It was designed as an alternative to Bitcoin’s traditional Merkle tree-based address system. Bech32 addresses are typically represented using the following pattern: bitcoincash:q
, where
is the Bitcoin Cash public key.
Legacy Bitcoin Cash Address Format
Legacy Bitcoin Cash addresses typically follow a different format that is not directly compatible with bech32. These formats typically use a combination of characters and punctuation to represent the Bitcoin Cash address. For example: bc1...
. To convert bech32 to the legacy Bitcoin Cash address format, we will need to perform some additional conversions.
Converting Bech32 to the Legacy Bitcoin Cash Address Format
To convert an Ethereum bech32 address to a legacy Bitcoin Cash address format, you can use the following steps:
q
prefix: Remove the q
from the beginning of the bech32 address.Here is an example conversion process:
Suppose we have an Ethereum bech32 address: bitcoincash:q...
q
: Remove the q
prefix, leaving us with bitcoca
.bc1...
, where ...
is a random Bitcoin Cash private key.The resulting legacy Bitcoin Cash address would be: bc1...
Example use case
Let’s say you have an Ethereum wallet that generates bech32 addresses like this: bitcoincash:q
. You can use the following Python script to convert these addresses to their equivalent legacy Bitcoin Cash addresses:
import king
def bech32_to_legacy_bc(bech32_address):

Remove the 'q' prefixq_prefix = bech32_address.startswith('q') and bech32_address[1:] or ''
Combine with the public key (assuming it is in the form "bc...")legacy_bc_address = f"bc{re.findall(r'[0-9a-fA-F]{44}', q_prefix)[0]}"
return legacy_bc_address
Example usagebech32_address = 'bitcoincash:q...'
legacy_bc_address = bech32_to_legacy_bc(bech32_address)
print(legacy_bc_address)
Output: bc1...
Conclusion
In conclusion, converting Ethereum Cashaddr (bech32) addresses to legacy Bitcoin Cash addresses requires some additional processing. This article has provided a step-by-step guide on how to achieve this conversion using Python code. While there may be variations in the format used by different wallets and platforms, understanding these differences is essential for seamless integration with various cryptocurrency systems.
Note:
It is always a good idea to double-check the address format of your wallet before attempting any conversion, as the result may vary depending on the specific implementation.