claude-dev-suite bitcoinj
Java/Kotlin Bitcoin library. Long-standing (since 2011). Used in many JVM-based wallets.
Repo: github.com/bitcoinj/bitcoinj.
Install
Maven:
<dependency>
<groupId>org.bitcoinj</groupId>
<artifactId>bitcoinj-core</artifactId>
<version>0.16.4</version>
</dependency>
Gradle:
implementation 'org.bitcoinj:bitcoinj-core:0.16.4'
Quick example
import org.bitcoinj.core.*;
import org.bitcoinj.params.*;
import org.bitcoinj.wallet.Wallet;
NetworkParameters params = MainNetParams.get();
Wallet wallet = Wallet.createDeterministic(params, Script.ScriptType.P2WPKH);
Address addr = wallet.currentReceiveAddress();
System.out.println(addr.toString());
// Sync via SPV (Neutrino-equivalent via bitcoinj's BlockChain)
PeerGroup peerGroup = new PeerGroup(params, blockChain);
peerGroup.addPeerDiscovery(new DnsDiscovery(params));
peerGroup.start();
peerGroup.downloadBlockChain();
Features
- HD wallet (BIP32/39/44).
- SPV / BIP37 (deprecated bloom filter SPV).
- Tx construction + signing.
- Network discovery.
- Coin selection.
Compared
| Aspect | bitcoinj | bdk-jvm |
|---|---|---|
| Language | Java | Java/Kotlin |
| Foundation | Pure Java | Rust BDK via JNI |
| Maturity | 14+ years | newer |
| Descriptor support | Limited | Native |
| SegWit | Partial | Full |
| Taproot | Limited | Full |
For new projects, bdk-jvm is generally recommended. bitcoinj has better adoption for legacy / Android-native cases.
Use cases
- Android wallets (legacy).
- JVM backend services.
- Educational — readable Java code.
Common pitfalls
- BIP37 SPV is insecure for privacy (filter-based deanon).
- Slower to adopt new BIPs (Taproot, etc.).
- Memory-heavy: not great for resource-constrained Android.