XRP address types: BIP44 and non-BIP44

You might be wondering why your XRP wallet displays both non-BIP44 and BIP44 address, what they mean, how they affect your assets, and the differences between them.
Let us clarify these points for you.

Introduction to XRP Address Types

XRP wallets can have two different types of addresses: BIP44 and non-BIP44. These address types are distinguished by the path used to derive them and their compatibility with different wallet standards.

Why Distinguish Between BIP44 and Non-BIP44?

Initially, XRP’s official wallets followed a non-BIP44 address generation path because the BIP44 standard had not yet been adopted for XRP. As blockchain technology evolved, many multi-chain and modern cryptocurrency wallets began to use the BIP44 standard to create addresses, ensuring better compatibility and consistency.

Some wallets, like ELLIPAL , supported XRP very early, using the original non-BIP44 address type. Over time, as the BIP44 address type was adopted by more wallets, ELLIPAL support both types of XRP addresses, allowing users to choose based on their needs.

These two address types, BIP44 and non-BIP44, are independent of each other. If you choose to store XRP on both address types, each will require a separate reservation of 10 XRP to maintain the account. This means that using both address types simultaneously involves managing them as distinct accounts, each with its own reserved balance.

Seed Phrase and Passphrase Impact

The XRP BIP44 address is affected by both the seed phrase and the passphrase. This means that if you use a different passphrase, even with the same seed phrase, the BIP44 address could change.

On the other hand, a non-BIP44 address is only affected by the seed phrase. So, as long as your seed phrase is correct, the non-BIP44 address will always stay the same, regardless of any passphrase used.

How to Toggle Address Types

Starting from version 4.0.0, ELLIPAL’s app allows you to toggle between BIP44 and non-BIP44 address types. This provides flexibility in managing different address types directly within the app.

Recovering Non-BIP44 Addresses

If your ELLIPAL is missing and need to recover a non-BIP44 address, you can do so with any compatible wallet that supports the BIP39 standard and the XRP non-BIP44 address type. Simply use your original seed phrase (and passphrase, if set) to access your account.

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