claude-dev-suite python-bitcoinlib
Long-standing low-level Python Bitcoin library by Peter Todd.
Repo: github.com/petertodd/python-bitcoinlib.
Install
pip install python-bitcoinlib
Quick examples
from bitcoin.core import CTransaction, COIN, lx, b2lx
from bitcoin.core.script import CScript, OP_CHECKSIG
from bitcoin.wallet import CBitcoinAddress, CBitcoinSecret
from bitcoin import SelectParams
SelectParams("mainnet")
# Address from secret
sk = CBitcoinSecret.from_secret_bytes(b"\x01" * 32)
print(sk.pub.to_addr())
# Decode tx
import bitcoin
tx = CTransaction.deserialize(bytes.fromhex("0100..."))
print(b2lx(tx.GetTxid())) # txid
# RPC client
from bitcoin.rpc import Proxy
rpc = Proxy()
print(rpc.getblockchaininfo())
Submodules
bitcoin.core— Tx, Block, Script.bitcoin.wallet— Address, key encoding.bitcoin.rpc— JSON-RPC client.bitcoin.signmessage— BIP137 message signing.
Compared
| Aspect | python-bitcoinlib | bitcoinlib | embit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Style | Functional / OO | OO | Embedded-friendly |
| Maturity | 10+ years | 7+ | newer |
| Coverage | Low-level | High-level wallet | Embedded HW signing |
Use cases
- Scripts manipulating raw txs.
- Custom signing flows.
- Integrating with bitcoind RPC from Python.
Common pitfalls
- Network selection global; test isolation requires
SelectParams. - Hex byte-order: most APIs use internal byte order;
lx/b2lxconvert to/from RPC display order.