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Starting from this text at https://en.bitcoin.it/wiki/Script:

"The script for a typical Bitcoin transfer to destination Bitcoin address D simply encumbers future spending of the bitcoins with two things: the spender must provide 1. a public key that, when hashed, yields destination address D embedded in the script ..."

and then looking at the HTLC script:

OP_IF
    [HASHOP] <digest> OP_EQUALVERIFY OP_DUP OP_HASH160 <seller pubkey hash>            
OP_ELSE
    <num> [TIMEOUTOP] OP_DROP OP_DUP OP_HASH160 <buyer pubkey hash>
OP_ENDIF
OP_EQUALVERIFY
OP_CHECKSIG

My original thought was that the HTLC could only be redeemed to the address behind <seller pubkey hash> or <buyer pubkey hash>: they are the only data relating to addresses embedded in the script so must be the "destination address" referred to above. I understand this to be wrong.

Am I now correct in thinking:

  1. That the two pubkey hashes merely establish the right of the redeemer to take the respective branch;
  2. There is in fact no "destination address D embedded in the script" for an HTLC;
  3. That the seller or buyer may redeem to any address they like;
  4. And that address can remain undecided through the funding and life of the HTLC until the moments before redemption?

1 Answer 1

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The inputs of a transaction have absolutely no ability to effect the outputs in any situation. They can only define who can spend, not the conditions for how they go about spending it.

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  • It had not occurred to me before now that the redeemScript is one of the inputs, so thank you for that - that's obvious to me now it's pointed out. I suspect I was conflating "the script" used on the page in the narrower sense of "redeemScript". Mar 22, 2019 at 16:56

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