Critical Documentation

This page provides a comprehensive collection of essential technical documentation for BSV blockchain development. These resources form the foundation of technical knowledge required for effective BSV development and serve as authoritative references for protocol details, APIs, standards, and best practices.

📜 Protocol Documentation

Core Protocol

Document	Description	Format
BSV Protocol Reference	Comprehensive documentation of the BSV protocol	Markdown
Block Structure	Detailed specification of BSV block format	Markdown
Transaction Format	Detailed specification of BSV transaction format	Markdown
Script Language Reference	Complete reference for the BSV Script language	Markdown
Opcodes Reference	Comprehensive list of Script opcodes with descriptions	Markdown
Network Protocol	Documentation of the peer-to-peer network protocol	Markdown

Protocol Extensions

Document	Description	Format
OP_RETURN Data Protocol	Specification for data storage using OP_RETURN	Markdown
Extended Transaction Format	Documentation for extended transaction capabilities	Markdown
Merkle Proof Format	Specification for Merkle proof format and validation	Markdown
SPV Protocol Extensions	Documentation for SPV protocol enhancements	Markdown

Protocol Updates

Document	Description	Format
Genesis Upgrade	Comprehensive documentation of the Genesis protocol upgrade	Markdown
Script Limits Removal	Documentation on the removal of script size and complexity limits	Markdown
Transaction Size Limits	Information on transaction size limits and considerations	Markdown
Protocol Roadmap	Forward-looking roadmap for protocol development	Markdown

🔌 API References

Node APIs

API	Description	Format
JSON-RPC API Reference	Complete reference for the BSV node JSON-RPC API	Markdown
REST API Reference	Documentation for the BSV node REST API	Markdown
ZeroMQ Interface	Documentation for the ZeroMQ notification interface	Markdown
Wallet RPC API	Reference for the wallet-related RPC commands	Markdown

Service APIs

API	Description	Format
WhatsOnChain API	Comprehensive blockchain data and transaction API	Web / OpenAPI
TAAL API	Transaction processing and miner API	Web / OpenAPI
Merchant API (mAPI)	Reference implementation of the Merchant API specification	GitHub / OpenAPI
MetaStreme API	High-volume transaction processing API	Web / OpenAPI

SDK APIs

API	Description	Format
TypeScript SDK API	API documentation for the BSV TypeScript SDK	TypeDoc / Markdown
bsv.js Library	Documentation for the bsv.js JavaScript library	JSDoc / Markdown
Wallet Toolbox API	API reference for the Wallet Toolbox	TypeDoc / Markdown
sCrypt Library API	API documentation for the sCrypt smart contract library	Web / Markdown

📋 Standards & Specifications

Data Standards

Standard	Description	Status
Bitcoin Data Format (BDF)	Standard for structured data in BSV transactions	Draft
B Protocol	Protocol for binary data encoding in transactions	Implemented
Bitcom Protocols	Registry of OP_RETURN protocols and prefixes	Active
Run Protocol	Protocol for tokens and smart contracts on BSV	Implemented

Identity Standards

Standard	Description	Status
Metanet Protocol	Protocol for creating identity and data structures	Implemented
BSV Identity Protocol	Standard for identity management on BSV	Draft
Paymail Protocol	Protocol for human-readable payment addresses	Implemented
DIDS on BSV	Decentralized Identifiers implementation for BSV	Draft

Transaction Standards

Standard	Description	Status
Merchant API Specification	Standard for transaction submission to miners	Implemented
Simple Payment Verification (SPV)	Specification for lightweight client verification	Implemented
Transaction Signing Protocol	Standard for multi-party transaction signing	Draft
Fee Specification	Standard for fee calculation and communication	Implemented

Application Standards

Standard	Description	Status
Tokenization Protocol	Standard for token creation and management	Draft
Smart Contract Interface	Standard interface for smart contract interaction	Draft
Data Storage Protocol	Standard for large data storage on BSV	Implemented
Application Interoperability	Standards for application interoperability	Draft

📚 Best Practices

Development Best Practices

Document	Description	Target Audience
Transaction Construction Guide	Best practices for constructing transactions	Developers
UTXO Management	Guidelines for effective UTXO management	Developers
Script Optimization	Techniques for optimizing Script code	Developers
Fee Calculation Strategies	Approaches to fee calculation and management	Developers

Security Best Practices

Document	Description	Target Audience
Key Management Guide	Best practices for private key management	Developers, Operators
Transaction Security	Guidelines for secure transaction handling	Developers
Smart Contract Security	Security considerations for smart contracts	Developers
Node Security	Best practices for securing BSV nodes	Operators

Performance Best Practices

Document	Description	Target Audience
Scaling Guidelines	Best practices for building scalable applications	Developers, Architects
Transaction Throughput	Techniques for high-throughput transaction processing	Developers
Data Optimization	Approaches to optimizing data storage on BSV	Developers
Network Efficiency	Guidelines for efficient network utilization	Developers, Operators

Operational Best Practices

Document	Description	Target Audience
Node Operation Guide	Best practices for operating BSV nodes	Operators
Monitoring and Alerting	Guidelines for monitoring BSV applications	Operators
Backup and Recovery	Best practices for backup and disaster recovery	Operators
Compliance Guidelines	Guidance for regulatory compliance	Business, Legal

📖 Technical Whitepapers

Foundational Papers

Paper	Author	Year	Description
Bitcoin: A Peer-to-Peer Electronic Cash System	Satoshi Nakamoto	2008	The original Bitcoin whitepaper
The Bitcoin Whitepaper: Restored to Original Form	Bitcoin SV	2019	Restored version of the original whitepaper
Theory of Bitcoin	Craig S. Wright	2019	Theoretical foundations of Bitcoin
Small World: How Network Topology Affects Miner Performance	nChain Research	2018	Analysis of mining network topology

Technical Research Papers

Paper	Author	Year	Description
Scaling Bitcoin: On-chain Scaling Solutions	Bitcoin SV	2020	Research on on-chain scaling approaches
Teranode: Architecture for a Trillion-Transaction Network	nChain Research	2021	Architecture for high-throughput node implementation
Miner ID: Protocol for Miner Identification and Authentication	Bitcoin SV	2019	Protocol for miner identification
Simplified Payment Verification in a World of Pruned Nodes	nChain Research	2020	SPV functionality with pruned blockchain data

🔍 Reference Implementations

Node Implementations

Implementation	Language	Description	Repository
Bitcoin SV Node	C++	Reference implementation of the BSV node	GitHub
Teranode	Various	High-performance enterprise node implementation	GitHub
Bitcoin SV Header-Only Client	C++	Lightweight header-only client implementation	GitHub
SPV Node Reference	Various	Reference implementation of an SPV node	GitHub

Library Implementations

Implementation	Language	Description	Repository
TypeScript SDK	TypeScript	Official TypeScript SDK for BSV development	GitHub
bsv.js	JavaScript	JavaScript library for BSV development	GitHub
Wallet Toolbox	TypeScript	Tools for wallet integration and management	GitHub
sCrypt	TypeScript	Library for smart contract development	GitHub

Protocol Implementations

Implementation	Language	Description	Repository
Merchant API Reference	Various	Reference implementation of the Merchant API	GitHub
Paymail Reference	Various	Reference implementation of the Paymail protocol	GitHub
Metanet Node	Various	Reference implementation of a Metanet node	GitHub
SPV Wallet	Various	Reference implementation of an SPV wallet	GitHub

📋 Documentation Roadmap

The BSV documentation ecosystem is continuously evolving. The following areas are currently under development:

1. Protocol Standardization: Formal standardization of protocol extensions and improvements

2. Developer Guides: Comprehensive guides for common development scenarios

3. Integration Patterns: Documentation of integration patterns for various use cases

4. Performance Benchmarks: Standardized performance benchmarks and metrics

5. Security Frameworks: Comprehensive security frameworks and audit methodologies

🔗 Additional Resources

For additional documentation resources:

• BSV Wiki: Community-maintained wiki with technical information

• BSV DevCon Presentations: Technical presentations from BSV developer conferences

• Technical Blog Posts: Technical articles and updates from the BSV team

• Academic Papers: Academic research papers related to BSV technology

📚 Documentation Contribution

To contribute to BSV documentation:

1. Identify Gaps: Identify areas where documentation is missing or incomplete

2. Create Content: Develop clear, accurate, and comprehensive documentation

3. Submit Contributions: Submit your contributions through the appropriate channels

4. Review Process: Participate in the review and refinement process

For more information on contributing to documentation, see the Community Resources page.

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Note: While we strive to maintain accurate links, some documentation URLs may change over time. If you encounter a broken link, please check the main BSV Developer Portal for updated resources.