<p>Yes there is a solution, it is brute-force. Make a loop and add variable characters, test them one by one. Start with one variable characters, try all combinations, add another variable character, try all combinations, rinse, repeat until you find unused firstbits.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2013-02-05T22:46:37.380Z
Okay... But how do I check if a given firstbits is used?
lurf jurv
CC BY-SA 3.0
2013-02-05T23:42:15.463Z
If I wanted to do it I'd plug into the blockchain API somehow and script the search. If you're going to do a brute-force search you'll have to script it anyway.
David
CC BY-SA 3.0
2013-02-06T01:30:11.410Z
@David, that seems rather hard on the firstbits website, given that you'd need 5 million requests (ish) to fully search for 5 character firstbits.
Nick ODell
CC BY-SA 3.0
2013-02-06T03:26:30.480Z
Hmm. Is there some kind of database I can download of firstbits that I can search through?
lurf jurv
CC BY-SA 3.0
2013-02-06T04:23:52.780Z
@lurfjurv Download, probably not. However, you can use a program called Abe to make a firstbit database. I wrote [a guide](http://bitcoin.stackexchange.com/a/5519/2306) about setting up Abe back in November, which I just updated to cover the firstbits feature.
Nick ODell
CC BY-SA 3.0
2013-02-05T16:29:11.547Z
2013-02-05T16:29:11.547Z
David
<p>I am interested in generating a bitcoin address with the shortest possible FirstBits. By random trial and error I found that <code>1ijj1</code> is untaken. Is there a way to find the shortest possible untaken FirstBits? (So I can generate it using vanitygen)</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2013-02-05T15:59:36.957Z
If I was an evil person I'd generate `1ijj1` it myself just for the lulz.
o0'.
CC BY-SA 3.0
2013-02-06T01:31:41.347Z
According to [this post](https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=22785.msg949105#msg949105) all of the 4 character firstbits are taken.
Nick ODell
<vanity-address><firstbits>
How to find the shortest unused FirstBits?
lurf jurv
# How to find the shortest unused FirstBits?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2013-02-05)

I am interested in generating a bitcoin address with the shortest possible FirstBits. By random trial and error I found that `1ijj1` is untaken. Is there a way to find the shortest possible untaken FirstBits? (So I can generate it using vanitygen)

**Tags:** vanity-address, firstbits

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: If I was an evil person I'd generate `1ijj1` it myself just for the lulz.  
> **username_2**: According to [this post](https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=22785.msg949105#msg949105) all of the 4 character firstbits are taken.  

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## 1 answers

### Answer by username_3 on 2013-02-05. Score: 1 | Accepted answer

Yes there is a solution, it is brute-force. Make a loop and add variable characters, test them one by one. Start with one variable characters, try all combinations, add another variable character, try all combinations, rinse, repeat until you find unused firstbits.

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: Okay... But how do I check if a given firstbits is used?  
> **username_3**: If I wanted to do it I'd plug into the blockchain API somehow and script the search. If you're going to do a brute-force search you'll have to script it anyway.  
> **username_2**: @username_3, that seems rather hard on the firstbits website, given that you'd need 5 million requests (ish) to fully search for 5 character firstbits.  
> **username_0**: Hmm. Is there some kind of database I can download of firstbits that I can search through?  
> **username_2**: @lurfjurv Download, probably not. However, you can use a program called Abe to make a firstbit database. I wrote [a guide](http://bitcoin.stackexchange.com/a/5519/2306) about setting up Abe back in November, which I just updated to cover the firstbits feature.  

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