Encode bytes as Base58 – the Bitcoin alphabet that deliberately omits 0, O, I and l so codes survive being read aloud, handwritten or retyped.
Show calculation steps
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How to use the Base58 Encoder
- Enter your text, or switch the input option to "Hex bytes" if you are starting from raw byte values.
- Click "Encode to Base58".
- Copy the result – Base58 strings are designed to be safe to write down and read aloud.
Frequently asked questions
What makes Base58 different from Base64?
Base58 removes four characters that look alike in many fonts: the digit zero, capital O, capital I and lower-case l. It also drops plus and slash, which are awkward in URLs and when double-clicking to select. The result is slightly longer but much harder to mis-transcribe.
Why do leading zero bytes turn into leading "1" characters?
Base58 treats the input as one large number, and a leading zero byte would otherwise vanish. The convention is to emit one "1" – the digit representing zero in this alphabet – for each leading zero byte, so the byte length is preserved exactly.
Is this the same encoding as a Bitcoin address?
The alphabet is the same. A full Bitcoin address uses Base58Check, which appends a four-byte checksum derived from a double SHA-256 hash before encoding. This tool performs plain Base58 without that checksum step.
Can I encode binary data?
Yes. Switch the input option to "Hex bytes" and paste hex values; spaces, commas and 0x prefixes are all accepted.
