---
id: based58
version: "0.1.1"
license: unclear
license_treatment: unclear
maintenance: abandoned
---

# based58 — A fast Python library for Base58 and Base58Check

License: unclear · Maintenance: abandoned · Downloads: 149.3K/mo

## What it is and what it does

based58 is a Python wrapper around the Rust bs58 library that provides Base58 and Base58Check encoding and decoding. It accepts only bytes as input (not strings) and offers support for multiple alphabets, including the Ripple alphabet. The package is significantly faster than pure-Python alternatives because it delegates the encoding/decoding work to compiled Rust code.

The library is intended for applications that need to work with Base58-encoded data—commonly used in cryptocurrency systems, blockchain addresses, and other binary-to-text encoding scenarios. However, the package has been abandoned since mid-2022 with no recent maintenance, so it receives no updates, security patches, or bug fixes.

Use it for:

- Encode and decode Bitcoin or other cryptocurrency addresses that use Base58Check.
- Convert binary data to Base58 text format for storage or transmission in systems that require it.
- Integrate Base58 encoding into applications that work with blockchain or distributed ledger data.
- Perform fast Base58 operations in performance-critical sections where pure-Python libraries are too slow.

## Worth the install?

AI-flagged interpretation of the facts above — verify before relying.

Encodes and decodes data using Base58 and Base58Check algorithms, with support for multiple alphabets, backed by a Rust implementation for speed.

No—the package is abandoned with no maintenance since July 2022, an unclear license, and no security updates. While it works for Base58 encoding/decoding, the lack of ongoing support and unresolved licensing make it unsuitable for production use. Consider a maintained alternative or verify the license status and security posture of the upstream Rust bs58 library before adopting this wrapper.

## Install

pip install based58
uv add based58
poetry add based58

## Installing based58

Before you install: Medium install friction due to compiled wheels; the package is abandoned (last release April 2022, no commits since July 2022), so no maintenance updates or security patches are forthcoming.

License in practice: License status is unclear—no SPDX identifier or raw license text is available in the package metadata, so the legal terms for use and distribution cannot be verified from the package itself.

Quickstart:

pip install based58

import based58
encoded = based58.b58encode(b'hello world')
decoded = based58.b58decode(b'StV1DL6CwTryKyV')
encoded_check = based58.b58encode_check(b'hello world')

Requires Python >= 3.7; installation pulls pre-built wheels for your platform.

Verify before relying:

- Whether the unclear license status has been resolved upstream or in any formal documentation.
- Current security posture and whether the Rust bs58 dependency has known vulnerabilities.

## Package facts

- License: not declared (unclear)
- Python support: supports_current
- Install friction: medium
- Maintenance: abandoned
- Downloads: 149.3K/month (top 15,000 on PyPI)
- Known vulnerabilities: none known

## Tags

base58 encoding decoding, base58check python, binary to text encoding, base58 alphabet, fast base58 library, base58 rust, cryptographic encoding, encoding, base58, rust-backed

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