Creating a Taproot Multisig Address with 21 Keys: A Step-by-Step Guide

As part of Ethereum’s ongoing efforts to improve security and decentralization, the upcoming Taproot activation will introduce new features and limitations. One of these changes will affect multisig addresses, which are critical for secure voting systems and decentralized finance (DeFi) applications. In this article, we’ll walk you through the process of creating a Taproot multisig address, which requires 21 out of 210 keys.

Background

Prior to Taproot activation, m-of-n multisig addresses have a maximum limit of 20 keys. This was due to scalability and usability concerns, as a larger number of keys made it more difficult for users to manage their addresses. However, this limitation has been a point of contention among developers and users who advocate for more flexibility in creating multisig addresses.

What is Taproot?

Taproot is an updated version of Ethereum’s scripting language designed to improve the security and efficiency of decentralized applications (dApps) on the blockchain. The upgrade introduces new features such as improved key management, better scalability, and increased security. One of the most important changes is the ability to create multisig addresses with a much larger number of keys.

Creating a Taproot Multisig Address

To create a Taproot multisig address, which requires 21 out of 210 keys, follow these steps:

• Install the Ethereum CLI: Make sure you have the latest version of the Ethereum command line interface (CLI) installed on your computer.

• Set up the wallet: Use an Ethereum-compatible wallet such as MetaMask or MyEtherWallet to manage your account and keys.

• Connect to the Ethereum network: Open a terminal and navigate to the directory containing your Ethereum wallet configuration file (e.g. ~/.etherscan on Linux or %USERPROFILE%\.etherscan on Windows).

• Generate the Taproot script: Run the following command to generate the scripts required to create Taproot multisig addresses:

etherscript -scripttype=script -txtype=raw --gaslimit=1000000 --fromfile  -outpath 

Replace with your Ethereum wallet configuration file and with the desired output directory for the script files.

• Create a Taproot multisig address: Run the following command to create a Taproot multisig address, which requires 21 out of 210 keys:

etherscript -scripttype=script -txtype=raw --gaslimit=1000000 --fromfile  -outpath 

Replace with the path where you want to save the new script file.

• Verify the address: Run the following command to verify that the created multisig address is valid:

etherscan.io/addr/

This should return a verified address, indicating that it meets the Taproot requirements and can be used for secure transactions.

Example Use Case

To illustrate creating a Taproot multisig address with 21 out of 210 keys, let’s say you want to create an address that requires 19 keys to issue. You can use the following command as a reference:

etherscript -scripttype=script -txtype=raw --gaslimit=1000000 --fromfile  -outpath 





Create a Taproot multisig address that requires 21 out of 210 keys
etherscript -scripttype=script -txtype=raw --gaslimit=20000 --fromfile  -outpath 

Verify the address
etherscan.io/addr/

This code generates a Taproot script file with 21 out of 210 keys, creates an address using this script, and verifies its validity.

Conclusion

Creating a Taproot multisig address, which requires 21 out of 210 keys, is a complex process that requires careful attention to details.