How we check explanations of the Bitcoin protocol
The technical review role for explanations about Bitcoin transactions, consensus, custody, mining, and Lightning.
At a glance
- Review names the actor, layer, rule, and evidence behind each technical claim.
- Bitcoin Core documentation, BIPs, node behavior, and transaction data take priority over marketing copy.
- The review is an editorial check, not a code audit, certification, or guarantee.
What readers should know
Review checklist
Protocol review checks which actor performs each action, whether a rule is consensus-critical or wallet behavior, which layer settles the activity and whether a simplified explanation changes the meaning. Wallets sign, nodes validate and miners propose transaction ordering; those jobs should not be collapsed into one vague system.
Evidence hierarchy
Bitcoin Core documentation, relevant BIPs, reproducible node behavior, transaction data and well-scoped technical research take priority over marketing material and unsourced summaries. A block explorer can display public data, but it is not the authority that defines whether a block or transaction is valid.
Custody and wallet claims
Review identifies who controls the keys, how a backup restores access, what a hardware device can and cannot protect, and which recovery steps remain with the user. A security label is not accepted without a specific threat model and failure path.
Markets versus protocol
A working Bitcoin network does not guarantee a stable market price, while a price decline does not mean consensus failed. Technical review keeps network operation, product behavior and market interpretation in separate sections when a reader could otherwise confuse them.
Limits
A review label records the process used by Bitcoin.now. It is not a professional certification, a code audit or a guarantee against error. It does not replace product-specific security testing, current release notes or individualized operational advice.
How readers can verify a claim
A useful technical explanation should name the relevant layer and point toward evidence a reader can inspect. Readers can compare a consensus claim with a BIP or Bitcoin Core behavior, a transaction example with raw public data, and a wallet feature with current project documentation. Disagreements should identify the exact sentence and stronger source.