Keys and Addresses: Public Keys | Saylor Academy (2024)

FAQs

What is the public key address? ›

Public Address definition: Also referred to as a wallet address, a public address is a unique code for a crypto wallet that can be shared to receive crypto. A public address, also known as a public key or wallet address, is a cryptographic string of characters derived from a user's public key.

Your private key is generated by your wallet and is used to create your public key (your wallet address) using encryption. You can view your private key using your wallet.

The public key is used by both the user and the remote server to encrypt messages. On the remote server side, it is saved in a public key file. On the user's side, it is stored in SSH key management software or in a file on their computer.

Suppose Alice wishes to receive encrypted messages; she publishes one of the keys, the public key, and anyone, say Bob, can use it to encrypt a message and send it to her. When Alice gets the encrypted message, she uses the private key to decrypt it and read the original message.

Creating Public Key from Ethereum Address is IMPOSSIBLE. As you know, from Public key you can achieve Address via 40% of an array which was hashed by keccak procedure, and this is a one-way path.

The public key that can receive funds is typically known as an address — a shortened version of your public key. For example, here is the first Bitcoin address ever: 1A1zP1eP5QGefi2DMPTfTL5SLmv7DivfNa. You can freely share your public key without concern.

The probability of guessing a valid Bitcoin private key is 1 in 2²⁵⁶. Said like that, it might seem like a relatively simple task. But you might be very surprised to learn how futile such an attempt would be.

Step-by-step instructions to find your Extended Public Key

Select your BTC / BCH / ETH or other cryptocurrency wallet. Tap on the small settings icon (three dots) in the top right. Select "Wallet Information." Tap on the "Extended Public Key" to copy it.

A Bitcoin private key is a 256-bit number, which means it's a string of 256 binary digits (0s and 1s). Creating a private key by flipping a coin 256 times isn't secure, so it's best to use specialized tools for generating high-entropy private keys.

How to get a private key? ›

Private key encryption is often used to encrypt data stored or transmitted between two parties. For example, when you log in to a website using a username and password, the password is often encrypted using a private key before it is transmitted to the web server.

Public keys have been described by some as being like a business' physical address – it's public and anyone can look it up and share it widely. In asymmetric encryption, public keys can be shared with everyone in the system. Once the sender has the public key, he uses it to encrypt his message.

To conclude, private keys can be used for both encryption and decryption, while Public keys are used only for the purpose of encrypting the sensitive data. Private keys are shared between the sender and the receiver, whereas public keys can be freely circulated among multiple users.

Private keys and personal certificates are stored in keystores. Public keys and CA certificates are stored in truststores. A truststore is a keystore that by convention contains only trusted keys and certificates.

Step-by-step instructions to find your Extended Public Key

Select your BTC / BCH / ETH or other cryptocurrency wallet. Tap on the small settings icon (three dots) in the top right. Select "Wallet Information." Tap on the "Extended Public Key" to copy it.

Step 1: Choose a reputable cryptocurrency wallet application or hardware wallet. Step 2: Follow the setup instructions, which typically involve creating a new wallet. Step 3: Once your wallet is set up, it will automatically generate a wallet address for you.

Public Device Address

This is the standard, IEEE-assigned 48-bit universal LAN MAC address which must be obtained from the IEEE Registration Authority. It is divided into two fields: IEEE-assigned company ID held in the 24 most-significant bits. Company-assigned device ID held in the 24 least significant bits.