> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://mintlify.com/bitcoin/bitcoin/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Utility RPC Methods

> Validation, signing, and utility functions for Bitcoin Core RPC interface

# Utility RPC Methods

Utility RPCs provide various helper functions including address validation, message signing, descriptor utilities, and fee estimation.

## Address Validation

### validateaddress

Validates a Bitcoin address and returns information about it.

<ParamField name="address" type="string" required>
  Bitcoin address to validate
</ParamField>

```bash theme={null}
bitcoin-cli validateaddress "bc1qar0srrr7xfkvy5l643lydnw9re59gtzzwf5mdq"
```

<ResponseField name="isvalid" type="boolean">
  Whether address is valid
</ResponseField>

<ResponseField name="address" type="string">
  The validated bitcoin address
</ResponseField>

<ResponseField name="scriptPubKey" type="string">
  Hex-encoded scriptPubKey
</ResponseField>

<ResponseField name="isscript" type="boolean">
  Whether address is a script address
</ResponseField>

<ResponseField name="iswitness" type="boolean">
  Whether address is a witness address
</ResponseField>

<ResponseField name="witness_version" type="number">
  Witness version (0 for P2WPKH/P2WSH, 1 for P2TR)
</ResponseField>

<ResponseField name="witness_program" type="string">
  Hex-encoded witness program
</ResponseField>

<Note>
  This RPC only validates the address format. For wallet-specific information (like ownership), use the wallet's `getaddressinfo` RPC.
</Note>

## Message Signing

### signmessagewithprivkey

Signs a message with a private key.

<ParamField name="privkey" type="string" required>
  Private key (WIF format)
</ParamField>

<ParamField name="message" type="string" required>
  Message to sign
</ParamField>

```bash theme={null}
bitcoin-cli signmessagewithprivkey "privkey" "my message"
```

<ResponseField name="result" type="string">
  Base64-encoded signature
</ResponseField>

<Warning>
  Never expose private keys. This RPC is primarily for testing. For wallet-managed keys, use the wallet's `signmessage` RPC.
</Warning>

### verifymessage

Verifies a signed message.

<ParamField name="address" type="string" required>
  Bitcoin address that signed the message
</ParamField>

<ParamField name="signature" type="string" required>
  Base64-encoded signature
</ParamField>

<ParamField name="message" type="string" required>
  Message that was signed
</ParamField>

```bash theme={null}
bitcoin-cli verifymessage "bc1q..." "signature" "my message"
```

<ResponseField name="result" type="boolean">
  Whether signature is valid
</ResponseField>

## Descriptor Utilities

### getdescriptorinfo

Analyzes a descriptor and returns information about it.

<ParamField name="descriptor" type="string" required>
  Output descriptor
</ParamField>

```bash theme={null}
bitcoin-cli getdescriptorinfo "wpkh([d34db33f/84h/0h/0h]xpub6ERApfZwUNrhLCkDtcHTcxd75RbzS1ed54G1LkBUHQVHQKqhMkhgbmJbZRkrgZw4koxb5JaHWkY4ALHY2grBGRjaDMzQLcgJvLJuZZvRcEL/0/*)"
```

<ResponseField name="descriptor" type="string">
  Canonical descriptor with computed checksum
</ResponseField>

<ResponseField name="checksum" type="string">
  Checksum for the descriptor
</ResponseField>

<ResponseField name="isrange" type="boolean">
  Whether descriptor is ranged
</ResponseField>

<ResponseField name="issolvable" type="boolean">
  Whether descriptor is solvable
</ResponseField>

<ResponseField name="hasprivatekeys" type="boolean">
  Whether descriptor has private keys
</ResponseField>

### deriveaddresses

Derives addresses from a descriptor.

<ParamField name="descriptor" type="string" required>
  Output descriptor
</ParamField>

<ParamField name="range" type="number | array">
  Range for derivation:

  * Single number: Derive at this index
  * Array \[begin, end]: Derive range of indices
</ParamField>

```bash theme={null}
# Derive single address
bitcoin-cli deriveaddresses "wpkh([d34db33f/84h/0h/0h]xpub.../0/*)#checksum" 0

# Derive range of addresses
bitcoin-cli deriveaddresses "wpkh([d34db33f/84h/0h/0h]xpub.../0/*)#checksum" "[0,2]"
```

<ResponseField name="result" type="array">
  Array of derived Bitcoin addresses
</ResponseField>

## Fee Estimation

### estimatesmartfee

Estimates the fee rate needed for confirmation within target blocks.

<ParamField name="conf_target" type="number" required>
  Confirmation target in blocks (1-1008)
</ParamField>

<ParamField name="estimate_mode" type="string" default="conservative">
  Fee estimate mode:

  * `unset`: Use node default
  * `economical`: Lower fee estimate
  * `conservative`: Higher fee estimate (recommended)
</ParamField>

```bash theme={null}
# Estimate fee for confirmation in 6 blocks
bitcoin-cli estimatesmartfee 6

# Economical estimate
bitcoin-cli estimatesmartfee 6 "economical"
```

<ResponseField name="feerate" type="number">
  Estimated fee rate in BTC/kvB
</ResponseField>

<ResponseField name="blocks" type="number">
  Block number where estimate was found
</ResponseField>

<ResponseField name="errors" type="array">
  Array of error messages (if any)
</ResponseField>

<Note>
  Fee estimation requires the node to have observed sufficient transaction history. New nodes may not have enough data for accurate estimates.
</Note>

## Data Encoding

### createrawtransaction

Creates a raw transaction (hex-encoded).

<ParamField name="inputs" type="array" required>
  Array of transaction inputs:

  * `txid`: Transaction ID
  * `vout`: Output index
  * `sequence`: Sequence number (optional)
</ParamField>

<ParamField name="outputs" type="array | object" required>
  Array or object of outputs:

  * Object: `{"address": amount, ...}`
  * Array: `[{"address": amount}, {"data": "hex"}, ...]`
</ParamField>

<ParamField name="locktime" type="number" default="0">
  Transaction locktime
</ParamField>

<ParamField name="replaceable" type="boolean" default="false">
  Mark as BIP125 replaceable (RBF)
</ParamField>

```bash theme={null}
# Create transaction
bitcoin-cli createrawtransaction \
  '[{"txid":"mytxid","vout":0}]' \
  '{"bc1q...": 0.01}'
```

<ResponseField name="result" type="string">
  Hex-encoded raw transaction
</ResponseField>

### decoderawtransaction

Decodes a raw transaction to JSON.

<ParamField name="hexstring" type="string" required>
  Hex-encoded raw transaction
</ParamField>

<ParamField name="iswitness" type="boolean">
  Whether transaction is witness-serialized
</ParamField>

```bash theme={null}
bitcoin-cli decoderawtransaction "020000000001..."
```

Returns detailed transaction object with all inputs, outputs, and metadata.

### decodescript

Decodes a hex-encoded script.

<ParamField name="hexstring" type="string" required>
  Hex-encoded script
</ParamField>

```bash theme={null}
bitcoin-cli decodescript "76a914..."
```

<ResponseField name="asm" type="string">
  Script assembly representation
</ResponseField>

<ResponseField name="type" type="string">
  Script type (e.g., pubkeyhash, scripthash, witness\_v0\_keyhash)
</ResponseField>

<ResponseField name="reqSigs" type="number">
  Required signatures (deprecated)
</ResponseField>

<ResponseField name="addresses" type="array">
  Array of bitcoin addresses (deprecated)
</ResponseField>

<ResponseField name="p2sh" type="string">
  P2SH address for this script
</ResponseField>

<ResponseField name="segwit" type="object">
  Segwit-specific information
</ResponseField>

## PSBT Utilities

### decodepsbt

Decodes a PSBT (Partially Signed Bitcoin Transaction) to JSON.

<ParamField name="psbt" type="string" required>
  Base64-encoded PSBT
</ParamField>

```bash theme={null}
bitcoin-cli decodepsbt "cHNidP8BAH..."
```

Returns detailed PSBT structure including:

* Transaction details
* Input metadata (UTXOs, signatures, derivation paths)
* Output metadata
* Unknown fields

### combinepsbt

Combines multiple PSBTs into one.

<ParamField name="txs" type="array" required>
  Array of base64-encoded PSBTs
</ParamField>

```bash theme={null}
bitcoin-cli combinepsbt '["psbt1", "psbt2"]'
```

<ResponseField name="result" type="string">
  Combined PSBT (base64)
</ResponseField>

### finalizepsbt

Finalizes a PSBT if possible.

<ParamField name="psbt" type="string" required>
  Base64-encoded PSBT
</ParamField>

<ParamField name="extract" type="boolean" default="true">
  Extract and return complete transaction when finalizing
</ParamField>

```bash theme={null}
bitcoin-cli finalizepsbt "cHNidP8BAH..."
```

<ResponseField name="psbt" type="string">
  Base64-encoded PSBT (if not extracted or not complete)
</ResponseField>

<ResponseField name="hex" type="string">
  Hex-encoded network transaction (if complete and extracted)
</ResponseField>

<ResponseField name="complete" type="boolean">
  Whether transaction is complete
</ResponseField>

### analyzepsbt

Analyzes a PSBT and provides information about what is missing.

<ParamField name="psbt" type="string" required>
  Base64-encoded PSBT
</ParamField>

```bash theme={null}
bitcoin-cli analyzepsbt "cHNidP8BAH..."
```

<ResponseField name="inputs" type="array">
  Analysis of each input (missing signatures, pubkeys, etc.)
</ResponseField>

<ResponseField name="estimated_vsize" type="number">
  Estimated virtual size of final transaction
</ResponseField>

<ResponseField name="estimated_feerate" type="number">
  Estimated feerate (BTC/kvB)
</ResponseField>

<ResponseField name="fee" type="number">
  Transaction fee in BTC
</ResponseField>

<ResponseField name="next" type="string">
  Role of next signer: signer, finalizer, extractor
</ResponseField>

## Miscellaneous

### getindexinfo

Returns status of optional indices.

<ParamField name="index_name" type="string">
  Specific index to query (txindex, coinstatsindex, blockfilterindex)
</ParamField>

```bash theme={null}
# Get all indices
bitcoin-cli getindexinfo

# Get specific index
bitcoin-cli getindexinfo "txindex"
```

<ResponseField name="synced" type="boolean">
  Whether index is synced to chain tip
</ResponseField>

<ResponseField name="best_block_height" type="number">
  Height index is synced to
</ResponseField>

### logging

Gets and sets logging configuration.

<ParamField name="include" type="array">
  Log categories to enable
</ParamField>

<ParamField name="exclude" type="array">
  Log categories to disable
</ParamField>

```bash theme={null}
# Get current logging configuration
bitcoin-cli logging

# Enable net and mempool logging
bitcoin-cli logging '["net", "mempool"]' '["http"]'
```

Available log categories:

* `net`: Network messages
* `tor`: Tor connection info
* `mempool`: Mempool operations
* `http`: HTTP server
* `bench`: Benchmarking
* `zmq`: ZMQ notifications
* `walletdb`: Wallet database operations
* `rpc`: RPC calls
* `estimatefee`: Fee estimation
* `addrman`: Address manager
* `selectcoins`: Coin selection
* `validation`: Block/transaction validation
* And more...

### uptime

Returns the total uptime of the server in seconds.

```bash theme={null}
bitcoin-cli uptime
```

<ResponseField name="result" type="number">
  Server uptime in seconds
</ResponseField>

### echo

Echoes back input arguments (for testing).

```bash theme={null}
bitcoin-cli echo "test" 123
```