bip39

What is bip39?

The bip39 npm package is a JavaScript implementation of the BIP39 standard for generating mnemonic codes for generating deterministic keys. It is commonly used in cryptocurrency applications for creating and managing mnemonic phrases, which can be used to derive cryptographic keys.

What are bip39's main functionalities?

Generate Mnemonic

This feature allows you to generate a random mnemonic phrase. The mnemonic phrase is a set of words that can be used to generate a deterministic wallet.

const bip39 = require('bip39');
const mnemonic = bip39.generateMnemonic();
console.log(mnemonic);

Validate Mnemonic

This feature allows you to validate a given mnemonic phrase. It checks if the mnemonic is valid according to the BIP39 standard.

const bip39 = require('bip39');
const mnemonic = 'praise you muffin lion enable neck grocery crumble super myself license ghost';
const isValid = bip39.validateMnemonic(mnemonic);
console.log(isValid);

Mnemonic to Seed

This feature converts a mnemonic phrase to a seed. The seed can be used to derive cryptographic keys.

const bip39 = require('bip39');
const mnemonic = 'praise you muffin lion enable neck grocery crumble super myself license ghost';
const seed = bip39.mnemonicToSeedSync(mnemonic).toString('hex');
console.log(seed);

Mnemonic to Seed with Password

This feature converts a mnemonic phrase to a seed using an optional password. The password adds an extra layer of security.

const bip39 = require('bip39');
const mnemonic = 'praise you muffin lion enable neck grocery crumble super myself license ghost';
const seed = bip39.mnemonicToSeedSync(mnemonic, 'password').toString('hex');
console.log(seed);

Other packages similar to bip39

ethers

The ethers.js library is a complete and compact library for interacting with the Ethereum blockchain and its ecosystem. It includes functionality for generating mnemonic phrases and deriving keys, similar to bip39, but also provides a wide range of other features for interacting with Ethereum smart contracts, wallets, and more.

hdkey

The hdkey package is a library for working with hierarchical deterministic (HD) wallets. It allows for the generation and management of HD keys, which can be derived from a mnemonic phrase. While it does not generate mnemonic phrases itself, it can be used in conjunction with bip39 or similar packages to manage HD wallets.

bitcoinjs-lib

The bitcoinjs-lib library is a comprehensive library for Bitcoin-related operations. It includes functionality for generating and validating mnemonic phrases, as well as creating and managing Bitcoin transactions and addresses. It is more specialized for Bitcoin compared to bip39, which is more general-purpose.

README

bip39

JavaScript implementation of Bitcoin BIP39: Mnemonic code for generating deterministic keys

Usage

npm install bip39

var BIP39 = require('bip39')

bip39 = new BIP39() // 'en' is the default language

bip39.entropyToMnemonic('1337') // hex input
// 'basket actual'

bip39.mnemonicToSeed('basket actual') // wait for it...
// '5cf2d4a8b0355e90295bdfc565a022a409af063d5365bb57bf74d9528f494bfa4400f53d8349b80fdae44082d7f9541e1dba2b003bcfec9d0d53781ca676651f'

bip39.generateMnemonic() // strength defaults to 128 bits
// 'seed sock milk update focus rotate barely fade car face mechanic mercy'