Clear DefinitionsKey Pair
1 min read
Pronunciation
[kee pair]
Analogy
Like a locked mailbox (public key) and its unique key (private key)—anyone can drop mail, only you can open it.
Definition
A cryptographic private key and its corresponding public key used for signing and verification.
Key Points Intro
Key pairs enable digital security via:
Key Points
Private key: Secret scalar for signing.
Public key: Derivable and shareable for verification.
Asymmetric cryptography: One-way mathematical relation.
Use cases: Transaction signing, encryption, identity.
Example
ECDSA on secp256k1: private key is 32-byte number, public key is curve point (x,y) encoded compressed.
Technical Deep Dive
Public key = scalar multiplication of generator G by private key d: Q = d·G. Signature = (r,s) computed via nonce k, hashed message, and d. Verification uses Q and ECDSA equation.
Security Warning
Nonce reuse or bias breaks security; always use high-quality RNG per RFC6979 or DRBG.
Caveat
Private key must remain secret; public key exposure is safe.
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