aboutsummaryrefslogtreecommitdiff
diff options
context:
space:
mode:
authorPieter Wuille <pieter.wuille@gmail.com>2018-07-31 16:53:02 -0700
committerPieter Wuille <pieter.wuille@gmail.com>2018-08-14 12:13:42 -0700
commit19efc01aec6b0d8750413fa1b721e04aaecf8f73 (patch)
tree7d8980eaacf3d327e58924dd9f28a5dccaaa5fbb
parent48bf8ff5b161e77079bf00a7a452b3f2fe511f84 (diff)
Add PSBT documentation
-rw-r--r--doc/README.md1
-rw-r--r--doc/psbt.md132
2 files changed, 133 insertions, 0 deletions
diff --git a/doc/README.md b/doc/README.md
index 5ffff825b4..b3f875c4a4 100644
--- a/doc/README.md
+++ b/doc/README.md
@@ -75,6 +75,7 @@ The Bitcoin repo's [root README](/README.md) contains relevant information on th
- [Tor Support](tor.md)
- [Init Scripts (systemd/upstart/openrc)](init.md)
- [ZMQ](zmq.md)
+- [PSBT support](psbt.md)
License
---------------------
diff --git a/doc/psbt.md b/doc/psbt.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..95e2f7fa01
--- /dev/null
+++ b/doc/psbt.md
@@ -0,0 +1,132 @@
+# PSBT Howto for Bitcoin Core
+
+Since Bitcoin Core 0.17, an RPC interface exists for Partially Signed Bitcoin
+Transactions (PSBTs, as specified in
+[BIP 174](https://github.com/bitcoin/bips/blob/master/bip-0174.mediawiki)).
+
+This document describes the overall workflow for producing signed transactions
+through the use of PSBT, and the specific RPC commands used in typical
+scenarios.
+
+## PSBT in general
+
+PSBT is an interchange format for Bitcoin transactions that are not fully signed
+yet, together with relevant metadata to help entities work towards signing it.
+It is intended to simplify workflows where multiple parties need to cooperate to
+produce a transaction. Examples include hardware wallets, multisig setups, and
+[CoinJoin](https://bitcointalk.org/?topic=279249) transactions.
+
+### Overall workflow
+
+Overall, the construction of a fully signed Bitcoin transaction goes through the
+following steps:
+
+- A **Creator** proposes a particular transaction to be created. They construct
+ a PSBT that contains certain inputs and outputs, but no additional metadata.
+- For each input, an **Updater** adds information about the UTXOs being spent by
+ the transaction to the PSBT. They also add information about the scripts and
+ public keys involved in each of the inputs (and possibly outputs) of the PSBT.
+- **Signers** inspect the transaction and its metadata to decide whether they
+ agree with the transaction. They can use amount information from the UTXOs
+ to assess the values and fees involved. If they agree, they produce a
+ partial signature for the inputs for which they have relevant key(s).
+- A **Finalizer** is run for each input to convert the partial signatures and
+ possibly script information into a final `scriptSig` and/or `scriptWitness`.
+- An **Extractor** produces a valid Bitcoin transaction (in network format)
+ from a PSBT for which all inputs are finalized.
+
+Generally, each of the above (excluding Creator and Extractor) will simply
+add more and more data to a particular PSBT, until all inputs are fully signed.
+In a naive workflow, they all have to operate sequentially, passing the PSBT
+from one to the next, until the Extractor can convert it to a real transaction.
+In order to permit parallel operation, **Combiners** can be employed which merge
+metadata from different PSBTs for the same unsigned transaction.
+
+The names above in bold are the names of the roles defined in BIP174. They're
+useful in understanding the underlying steps, but in practice, software and
+hardware implementations will typically implement multiple roles simultaneously.
+
+## PSBT in Bitcoin Core
+
+### RPCs
+
+- **`converttopsbt` (Creator)** is a utility RPC that converts an
+ unsigned raw transaction to PSBT format. It ignores existing signatures.
+- **`createpsbt` (Creator)** is a utility RPC that takes a list of inputs and
+ outputs and converts them to a PSBT with no additional information. It is
+ equivalent to calling `createrawtransaction` followed by `converttopsbt`.
+- **`walletcreatefundedpsbt` (Creator, Updater)** is a wallet RPC that creates a
+ PSBT with the specified inputs and outputs, adds additional inputs and change
+ to it to balance it out, and adds relevant metadata. In particular, for inputs
+ that the wallet knows about (counting towards its normal or watch-only
+ balance), UTXO information will be added. For outputs and inputs with UTXO
+ information present, key and script information will be added which the wallet
+ knows about. It is equivalent to running `createrawtransaction`, followed by
+ `fundrawtransaction`, and `converttopsbt`.
+- **`walletprocesspsbt` (Updater, Signer, Finalizer)** is a wallet RPC that takes as
+ input a PSBT, adds UTXO, key, and script data to inputs and outputs that miss
+ it, and optionally signs inputs. Where possible it also finalizes the partial
+ signatures.
+- **`finalizepsbt` (Finalizer, Extractor)** is a utility RPC that finalizes any
+ partial signatures, and if all inputs are finalized, converts the result to a
+ fully signed transaction which can be broadcast with `sendrawtransaction`.
+- **`combinepsbt` (Combiner)** is a utility RPC that implements a Combiner. It
+ can be used at any point in the workflow to merge information added to
+ different versions of the same PSBT. In particular it is useful to combine the
+ output of multiple Updaters or Signers.
+- **`decodepsbt`** is a diagnostic utility RPC which will show all information in
+ a PSBT in human-readable form, as well as compute its eventual fee if known.
+
+### Workflows
+
+#### Multisig with multiple Bitcoin Core instances
+
+Alice, Bob, and Carol want to create a 2-of-3 multisig address. They're all using
+Bitcoin Core. We assume their wallets only contain the multisig funds. In case
+they also have a personal wallet, this can be accomplished through the
+multiwallet feature - possibly resulting in a need to add `-rpcwallet=name` to
+the command line in case `bitcoin-cli` is used.
+
+Setup:
+- All three call `getnewaddress` to create a new address; call these addresses
+ *Aalice*, *Abob*, and *Acarol*.
+- All three call `getaddressinfo X`, with *X* their respective address, and
+ remember the corresponding public keys. Call these public keys *Kalice*,
+ *Kbob*, and *Kcarol*.
+- All three now run `addmultisigaddress 2 ["Kalice","Kbob","Kcarol"]` to teach
+ their wallet about the multisig script. Call the address produced by this
+ command *Amulti*. They may be required to explicitly specify the same
+ addresstype option each, to avoid constructing different versions due to
+ differences in configuration.
+- They also run `importaddress "Amulti" "" false` to make their wallets treat
+ payments to *Amulti* as contributing to the watch-only balance.
+- Others can verify the produced address by running
+ `createmultisig 2 ["Kalice","Kbob","Kcarol"]`, and expecting *Amulti* as
+ output. Again, it may be necessary to explicitly specify the addresstype
+ in order to get a result that matches. This command won't enable them to
+ initiate transactions later, however.
+- They can now give out *D* as address others can pay to.
+
+Later, when *V* BTC has been received on *Amulti*, and Bob and Carol want to
+move the coins in their entirety to address *Asend*, with no change. Alice
+does not need to be involved.
+- One of them - let's assume Carol here - initiates the creation. She runs
+ `walletcreatefundedpsbt [] {"Asend":V} 0 false {"subtractFeeFromOutputs":[0], "includeWatching":true}`.
+ We call the resulting PSBT *P*. P does not contain any signatures.
+- Carol needs to sign the transaction herself. In order to do so, she runs
+ `walletprocesspsbt P`, and gives the resulting PSBT *P2* to Bob.
+- Bob inspects the PSBT using `decodepsbt "P2"` to determine if the transaction
+ has indeed just the expected input, and an output to *Asend*, and the fee is
+ reasonable. If he agrees, he calls `walletprocesspsbt "P2"` to sign. The
+ resulting PSBT *P3* contains both Carol's and Bob's signature.
+- Now anyone can call `finalizepsbt "P2"` to extract a fully signed transaction
+ *T*.
+- Finally anyone can broadcast the transaction using `sendrawtransaction "T"`.
+
+In case there are more signers, it may be advantageous to let them all sign in
+parallel, rather passing the PSBT from one signer to the next one. In the
+above example this would translate to Carol handing a copy of *P* to each signer
+separately. They can then all invoke `walletprocesspsbt P`, and end up with
+their individually-signed PSBT structures. They then all send those back to
+Carol (or anyone) who can combine them using `combinepsbt`. The last two steps
+(`finalizepsbt` and `sendrawtransaction`) remain unchanged.