Understanding SLIP-39 and Its Advantages Over BIP-39

Came across this cool Python project for SLIP-39 that helps users generate and back up mnemonics compatible with Trezor wallets. You can even turn your BIP-39 backup into a more secure SLIP-39 one without losing any of your wallets. Pretty handy for folks using older hardware like Trezor One.

Nice find! But did you check the code? Is it legit? I want to look into it first myself. The old crypto saying is still true: don’t trust, verify. I might take forever since my coding skills are pretty basic.

It’s open source, so anyone can look at the code. If you need more details, just reach out to the dev Perry Kundert. I think this tool will really take off once more wallets start supporting SLIP39.

I read that converting from BIP39 to SLIP39 uses 59 words. Kinda weird, right? The specs say SLIP39 encodes the BIP32 master seed. BIP39 does all these PBKDF rounds to get a seed. But SLIP39 skips that and just uses the entropy for the seed? That’s a big deal!

I gotta read more about this! A 128-bit entropy split into 200-bit shards. There’s a better way to check if they belong together, and those extra checksums make sense. Check out the details in the SLIP39 docs.

Cricktor broke it down really well. Just remember, the same devs behind BIP39 created SLIP39 too. Brute-force attacking SLIP39 is nearly impossible. The entropy level matches BIP39 with 12 words, but BIP39 with 24 words has more, which seems excessive.

Cool find, but I doubt many will switch to it. Most people are stuck with the same wallet for ages. It's like they don't even want to deal with re-verifying PGP keys. SLIP39 sounds neat but has less adoption due to compatibility issues.

The word count isn't just about the dictionary size or error checks. If the master secret is encrypted and it’s actually the BIP-32 seed, then what’s the point of that encryption? Does it really secure the seed?

Not sure when I’ll find the time to dig through the specs. I’m trying to connect how the 128 or 256 bits of entropy relate to the BIP32 seed. Is that what you mean by BIP39 Seed? I’d love to see a diagram like the one for BIP-39.

Definitely a solid discovery. SLIP-39 shows how backup methods are evolving beyond just writing down a bunch of words. The group thing is interesting for sharing trust across different people. But do you think the added security is worth the risk of user error compared to the simpler BIP-39?

The specs mention clearly that what’s encoded is the BIP32 seed which comes after those 2048 PBKDF2 rounds, meaning it uses the initial entropy bits for the master seed. I’m sticking to my guns here SLIP39 security, at the same entropy, is weaker than BIP39 security.