<p>I believe flickr uses a base 58 scheme for encoding picture IDs in URLs, though Bitcoin's Base58 isn't compatible with flickr's.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2013-10-27T22:18:10.197Z
Do you have a reference? Perhaps an idea when they started doing this?
Meni Rosenfeld
CC BY-SA 3.0
2013-10-27T22:53:57.657Z
Also, is it more likely that Satoshi was inspired by flickr, or that they developed it independently?
Meni Rosenfeld
CC BY-SA 3.0
2013-10-27T23:36:24.220Z
My guess is inspired by, but no evidence to back that up (except that the dictionary is the same, just in a different order).
Pieter Wuille
CC BY-SA 3.0
2013-10-27T13:23:44.310Z
2013-10-27T13:23:44.310Z
Pieter Wuille
<p>Base58 is very useful whenever data needs to be written down, but I've never seen it mentioned in any context other than Bitcoin.</p>

<p>Was it invented by Satoshi specifically for use in Bitcoin?</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2013-10-27T23:51:42.820Z
Of course, various versions of [base 64](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Base64) have been in use for a long time.
Nate Eldredge
<encoding><base58>
Was Base58 invented for Bitcoin?
Meni Rosenfeld
# Was Base58 invented for Bitcoin?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2013-10-27)

Base58 is very useful whenever data needs to be written down, but I've never seen it mentioned in any context other than Bitcoin.

Was it invented by Satoshi specifically for use in Bitcoin?

**Tags:** encoding, base58

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: Of course, various versions of [base 64](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Base64) have been in use for a long time.  

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## 1 answers

### Answer by username_2 on 2013-10-27. Score: 4

I believe flickr uses a base 58 scheme for encoding picture IDs in URLs, though Bitcoin's Base58 isn't compatible with flickr's.

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: Do you have a reference? Perhaps an idea when they started doing this?  
> **username_0**: Also, is it more likely that Satoshi was inspired by flickr, or that they developed it independently?  
> **username_2**: My guess is inspired by, but no evidence to back that up (except that the dictionary is the same, just in a different order).  

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