Glossary
BIP
Bitcoin Improvement Proposal — the standardized document format for proposing changes to the Bitcoin protocol or its conventions (BIP-32, BIP-39, BIP-141, …).
A BIP is a written proposal for a change to Bitcoin. The format — modeled after Python's PEPs — covers protocol changes, application conventions, and informational documents. Each BIP has a number, an author, and a status (Draft, Active, Final, Withdrawn).
Notable examples: BIP-32 (HD wallets), BIP-39 (mnemonic phrases), BIP-141 (SegWit), BIP-340/341/342 (Schnorr / Taproot). Acceptance is informal and consensus-driven — there is no committee that ratifies BIPs; they become "Final" once widely deployed.