MuSig is a protocol for aggregating public keys and signatures for the schnorr digital signature algorithm.

MuSig allows multiple users each with their own private key to create a combined public key that’s indistinguishable from any other schnorr pubkey, including being the same size as a single-user pubkey. It further describes how the users who created the pubkey can work together to securely create a multisignature corresponding to the pubkey. Like the pubkey, the signature is indistinguishable from any other schnorr signature.

Compared to traditional script-based multisig, MuSig uses less block space and is more private, but it also requires more interactivity between the participants. As of August 2021, there are three protocols in the MuSig family:

  • MuSig (also called MuSig1), which should be simple to implement but which requires three rounds of communication during the signing process.

  • MuSig2, also simple to implement. It eliminates one round of communication and allows another round to be combined with key exchange. That can allow using a somewhat similar signing process to what we use today with script-based multisig. This does require storing extra data and being very careful about ensuring your signing software or hardware can’t be tricked into unknowingly repeating part of the signing session.

  • MuSig-DN (Deterministic Nonce), significantly more complex to implement. Its communication between participants can’t be combined with key exchange, but it has the advantage that it’s not vulnerable to the repeated session attack.

Primary code and documentation

Optech newsletter and website mentions

2024

2023

2022

2021

2020

2019

2018

See also

Previous Topic:
Scriptless multisignatures

Next Topic:
Offers

Edit page
Report Issue