Tutorials:Public and Private Key Cryptography

Public and Private Key Cryptography

Public key cryptography involves a pair of keys:

1. A Private Key, which is meant to be kept secret.
2. A Public Key, which can be shared openly.

Key Properties

• Information encrypted with the Public Key can only be decrypted with the corresponding Private Key.
• Information encrypted with the Private Key can only be decrypted with the corresponding Public Key.
• This system is also used to create digital signatures.

Applications of Public Key Cryptography

1. Encrypt Messages.
2. Create Digital Signatures to authenticate a file.
3. Data Integrity. Making sure data is not changed during transmission.
4. Non-Repudiation: The author of a file can't deny the authorship.

All these features are used in cryptocurrency.

Relation to Bitcoin

In Bitcoin:

 * Your Private Key is related to your wallet seed (They are equivalent).
 * The Private Key can generate multiple Public Keys associated with your Bitcoin addresses.
 * These keys enable secure transactions and ownership verification on the blockchain.