bech32-encoding-decoding - SKILL.md Agent Skill

name: bech32-encoding-decoding description: Encode and decode bech32 strings using the local bech32 CLI. allowed-tools: - Bash(bech32:*) - Read disable-model-invocation: false user-invocable: true

Bech32 Encoding/Decoding Skill

Use this skill to convert between hex/base58 inputs and bech32 strings, or to decode bech32 back to base16. The local bech32 binary reads data from standard input and writes to standard output.

When to use

When you need to inspect or transform bech32 strings for debugging or tests
When you need to encode raw bytes (hex/base58) to a bech32 prefix
When you need to decode a bech32 string to base16

Tooling

bech32 [PREFIX] converts to/from bech32 strings
Input is read from stdin
Output is printed to stdout
Supported input formats: Base16, Bech32, Base58

Operating rules (must follow)

Confirm the target human-readable prefix (HRP) before encoding
Prefer piping input via <<< or printf so the payload is explicit
For decoding, omit the prefix argument to ensure base16 output
Never alter user data; report exact output from the tool

Execution workflow

Step 1: Identify the input type

Base16 hex string (preferred for raw bytes)
Base58 string
Bech32 string

Step 2: Encode to bech32

bech32 <prefix> <<< <hex-or-base58-input>

Step 3: Decode from bech32 to base16

bech32 <<< <bech32-input>

Examples

Encode hex to bech32:

bech32 addr <<< 71ab222c7f223c4c0e297d11fbf6e6a082eb41db5e8539fcfb822c76c3

Expected output:

addr1wx4jytrlyg7ycr3f05glhahx5zpwkswmt6znnl8msgk8dsccv8766

Decode bech32 to hex:

bech32 <<< addr1wx4jytrlyg7ycr3f05glhahx5zpwkswmt6znnl8msgk8dsccv8766

Expected output:

71ab222c7f223c4c0e297d11fbf6e6a082eb41db5e8539fcfb822c76c3

Convert from base58 to bech32:

bech32 base58_ <<< Ae2tdPwUPEYy

Expected output:

base58_1p58rejhd9592uusa8pzj2

Common pitfalls

Using the wrong HRP when encoding; bech32 is prefix-sensitive
Passing bech32 input with a prefix argument (this re-encodes instead of decoding)
Including whitespace or newlines inside the input payload
Prefixing hex input with 0x; the tool expects raw hex only

Error signals

Unable to detect input encoding usually means the input contains a prefix (0x) or non-hex characters

Diagnosis workflow (quick)

Confirm input type and remove any 0x prefix for hex.
If encoding: verify the HRP you intend to use.
If decoding: ensure you omit the prefix argument.
Re-run with a minimal test case to validate the tool:
- bech32 base16_ <<< 706174617465
- bech32 <<< base16_1wpshgct5v5r5mxh0

References

bech32 --help