<p>When encoding the 20 byte public key hash with base-58, a prefix for the version byte is prepended. In Bitcoin, this version byte is 0x00 so that bitcoin addresses always start with a 1. In Litecoin, this version byte is 0x48 so that addresses always start with an L. This also has the side effect that the base58 encoding of these hashes is 26-34 characters for Bitcoin, and always 34 characters for Litecoin. See <a href="https://en.bitcoin.it/wiki/List_of_address_prefixes">https://en.bitcoin.it/wiki/List_of_address_prefixes</a></p>

<p>But this doesn't change the fact that there is 20 bytes of information being encoded (addresses are really just human readable short-hand for this 20 bytes of data), and each possible combination has a unique encoding. Therefore, the chance of address collision is exactly the same in the two coins.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-12-23T17:43:40.107Z
2014-12-23T17:43:40.107Z
morsecoder
<p>I assume Litecoin has different rules of generating addresses with Bitcoin, since all Litecoin addresses are 34-characters long which is different than Bitcoin.</p>

<p>Given that the rules for generating addresses are different, does Litecoin have a higher chance of address collision than Bitcoin?</p>

<address>
Does Litecoin have a higher chance of address collision than Bitcoin?
Willipm
# Does Litecoin have a higher chance of address collision than Bitcoin?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2014-12-23)

I assume Litecoin has different rules of generating addresses with Bitcoin, since all Litecoin addresses are 34-characters long which is different than Bitcoin.

Given that the rules for generating addresses are different, does Litecoin have a higher chance of address collision than Bitcoin?

**Tags:** address


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## 1 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2014-12-23. Score: 7 | Accepted answer

When encoding the 20 byte public key hash with base-58, a prefix for the version byte is prepended. In Bitcoin, this version byte is 0x00 so that bitcoin addresses always start with a 1. In Litecoin, this version byte is 0x48 so that addresses always start with an L. This also has the side effect that the base58 encoding of these hashes is 26-34 characters for Bitcoin, and always 34 characters for Litecoin. See <https://en.bitcoin.it/wiki/List_of_address_prefixes>

But this doesn't change the fact that there is 20 bytes of information being encoded (addresses are really just human readable short-hand for this 20 bytes of data), and each possible combination has a unique encoding. Therefore, the chance of address collision is exactly the same in the two coins.


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