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+# Contributing to rust-bitcoin
+
+:+1::tada: First off, thanks for taking the time to contribute! :tada::+1:
+
+The following is a set of guidelines for contributing to Rust Bitcoin
+implementation and other Rust Bitcoin-related projects, which are hosted in the
+[Rust Bitcoin Community](https://github.com/rust-bitcoin) on GitHub. These are
+mostly guidelines, not rules. Use your best judgment, and feel free to propose
+changes to this document in a pull request.
+
+#### Table Of Contents
+
+- [General](#general)
+- [Communication channels](#communication-channels)
+- [Asking questions](#asking-questions)
+- [Contribution workflow](#contribution-workflow)
+  * [Preparing PRs](#preparing-prs)
+  * [Peer review](#peer-review)
+  * [Repository maintainers](#repository-maintainers)
+- [Coding conventions](#coding-conventions)
+  * [Formatting](#formatting)
+  * [MSRV](#msrv)
+  * [Naming conventions](#naming-conventions)
+  * [Unsafe code](#unsafe-code)
+- [Security](#security)
+- [Testing](#testing)
+- [Going further](#going-further)
+
+
+## General
+
+The Rust Bitcoin project operates an open contributor model where anyone is
+welcome to contribute towards development in the form of peer review,
+documentation, testing and patches.
+
+Anyone is invited to contribute without regard to technical experience,
+"expertise", OSS experience, age, or other concern. However, the development of
+standards & reference implementations demands a high-level of rigor, adversarial
+thinking, thorough testing and risk-minimization. Any bug may cost users real
+money. That being said, we deeply welcome people contributing for the first time
+to an open source project or pick up Rust while contributing. Don't be shy,
+you'll learn.
+
+
+## Communication channels
+
+Communication about Rust Bitcoin happens primarily in
+[#bitcoin-rust](https://web.libera.chat/?channel=#bitcoin-rust) IRC chat on
+[Libera](https://libera.chat/) with the logs available at
+<https://gnusha.org/bitcoin-rust/> (starting from Jun 2021 and now on) and
+<https://gnusha.org/rust-bitcoin/> (historical archive before Jun 2021).
+
+Discussion about code base improvements happens in GitHub issues and on pull
+requests.
+
+Major projects are tracked [here](https://github.com/orgs/rust-bitcoin/projects).
+Major milestones are tracked [here](https://github.com/rust-bitcoin/rust-bitcoin/milestones).
+
+
+## Asking questions
+
+> **Note:** Please don't file an issue to ask a question. You'll get faster
+> results by using the resources below.
+
+We have a dedicated developer channel on IRC, #bitcoin-rust@libera.chat where
+you may get helpful advice if you have questions.
+
+
+## Contribution workflow
+
+The codebase is maintained using the "contributor workflow" where everyone
+without exception contributes patch proposals using "pull requests". This
+facilitates social contribution, easy testing and peer review.
+
+To contribute a patch, the workflow is a as follows:
+
+1. Fork Repository
+2. Create topic branch
+3. Commit patches
+
+Please keep commits should atomic and diffs easy to read. For this reason
+do not mix any formatting fixes or code moves with actual code changes.
+Further, each commit, individually, should compile and pass tests, in order to
+ensure git bisect and other automated tools function properly.
+
+Please cover every new feature with unit tests.
+
+When refactoring, structure your PR to make it easy to review and don't hesitate
+to split it into multiple small, focused PRs.
+
+Commits should cover both the issue fixed and the solution's rationale.
+Please keep these [guidelines](https://chris.beams.io/posts/git-commit/) in mind.
+
+To facilitate communication with other contributors, the project is making use
+of GitHub's "assignee" field. First check that no one is assigned and then
+comment suggesting that you're working on it. If someone is already assigned,
+don't hesitate to ask if the assigned party or previous commenters are still
+working on it if it has been awhile.
+
+## Preparing PRs
+
+The main library development happens in the `master` branch. This branch must
+always compile without errors (using GitHub CI). All external contributions are
+made within PRs into this branch.
+
+Prerequisites that a PR must satisfy for merging into the `master` branch:
+* each commit within a PR must compile and pass unit tests with no errors, with
+  every feature combination (including compiling the fuzztests) on some
+  reasonably recent compiler (this is partially automated with CI, so the rule
+  is that we will not accept commits which do not pass GitHub CI);
+* the tip of any PR branch must also compile and pass tests with no errors on
+  MSRV (check [README.md] on current MSRV requirements) and pass fuzz tests on
+  nightly rust;
+* contain all necessary tests for the introduced functional (either as a part of
+  commits, or, more preferably, as separate commits, so that it's easy to
+  reorder them during review and check that the new tests fail without the new
+  code);
+* contain all inline docs for newly introduced API and pass doc tests;
+* be based on the recent `master` tip from the original repository at
+  <https://github.com/rust-bitcoin/rust-bitcoin>.
+
+NB: reviewers may run more complex test/CI scripts, thus, satisfying all the
+requirements above is just a preliminary, but not necessary sufficient step for
+getting the PR accepted as a valid candidate PR for the `master` branch.
+
+PR authors may also find it useful to run the following script locally in order
+to check that each of the commits within the PR satisfies the requirements
+above, before submitting the PR to review:
+```shell script
+BITCOIN_MSRV=1.29.0 ./contrib/ci.sh
+```
+Please replace the value in `BITCOIN_MSRV=1.29.0` with the current MSRV from
+[README.md].
+
+NB: Please keep in mind that the script above replaces `Cargo.lock` file, which
+is necessary to support current MSRV, incompatible with `stable` and newer cargo
+versions.
+
+### Peer review
+
+Anyone may participate in peer review which is expressed by comments in the pull
+request. Typically, reviewers will review the code for obvious errors, as well as
+test out the patch set and opine on the technical merits of the patch. Please,
+first review PR on the conceptual level before focusing on code style or
+grammar fixes.
+
+### Repository maintainers
+
+Pull request merge requirements:
+- all CI test should pass,
+- at least two "accepts"/ACKs from the repository maintainers
+- no reasonable "rejects"/NACKs from anybody who reviewed the code.
+
+Current list of the project maintainers:
+
+- [Andrew Poelstra](https://github.com/apoelstra)
+- [Steven Roose](https://github.com/stevenroose)
+- [Maxim Orlovsky](https://github.com/dr-orlovsky)
+- [Matt Corallo](https://github.com/TheBlueMatt)
+- [Elichai Turkel](https://github.com/elichai)
+- [Sebastian Geisler](https://github.com/sgeisler)
+- [Sanket Kanjalkar](https://github.com/sanket1729)
+
+
+## Coding conventions
+
+Library reflects Bitcoin Core approach whenever possible.
+
+### Formatting
+
+The repository currently does not use `rustfmt`.
+
+New changes may format the code with `rustfmt`, but they should not re-format
+any existing code for maintaining diff size small, keeping `git blame` intact and
+reduce review time. Repository maintainers may not review PRs introducing large
+blocks of re-formatted code.
+
+You may check the [discussion on the formatting](https://github.com/rust-bitcoin/rust-bitcoin/issues/172)
+and [how it is planned to coordinate it with crate refactoring](https://github.com/rust-bitcoin/rust-bitcoin/pull/525)
+
+For the new code it is recommended to follow style of the existing codebase and
+avoid any end-line space characters.
+
+### MSRV
+
+The Minimal Supported Rust Version (MSRV) is 1.29; it is enforced by our CI.
+Later we plan to increase MSRV to support Rust 2018 and you are welcome to check
+the [tracking issue](https://github.com/rust-bitcoin/rust-bitcoin/issues/510).
+
+### Naming conventions
+
+Naming of data structures/enums and their fields/variants must follow names used
+in Bitcoin Core, with the following exceptions:
+- the case should follow Rust standards (i.e. PascalCase for types and
+  snake_case for fields and variants);
+- omit `C`-prefixes.
+
+### Unsafe code
+
+Use of `unsafe` code is prohibited unless there is a unanimous decision among
+library maintainers on the exclusion from this rule. In such cases there is a
+requirement to test unsafe code with sanitizers including Miri.
+
+
+## Security
+
+Security is the primary focus for this library; disclosure of security
+vulnerabilities helps prevent user loss of funds. If you believe a vulnerability
+may affect other implementations, please disclose this information according to
+the [security guidelines](./SECURITY.md), work on which is currently in progress.
+Before it is completed, feel free to send disclosure to Andrew Poelstra,
+apoelstra@wpsoftware.net, encrypted with his public key from
+<https://www.wpsoftware.net/andrew/andrew.gpg>.
+
+
+## Testing
+
+Related to the security aspect, rust bitcoin developers take testing very
+seriously. Due to the modular nature of the project, writing new test cases is
+easy and good test coverage of the codebase is an important goal. Refactoring
+the project to enable fine-grained unit testing is also an ongoing effort.
+
+Fuzzing is heavily encouraged: feel free to add related material under `fuzz/`
+
+Mutation testing is planned; any contributions helping with that are highly
+welcome!
+
+
+## Going further
+
+You may be interested in the guide by Jon Atack on
+[How to review Bitcoin Core PRs](https://github.com/jonatack/bitcoin-development/blob/master/how-to-review-bitcoin-core-prs.md)
+and [How to make Bitcoin Core PRs](https://github.com/jonatack/bitcoin-development/blob/master/how-to-make-bitcoin-core-prs.md).
+While there are differences between the projects in terms of context and
+maturity, many of the suggestions offered apply to this project.
+
+Overall, have fun :)