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Brute Force Bitcoin

Blog

Short reads on the cryptography behind the numbers on the board, and on just how hopeless guessing a key really is.

A Private Key Is Just A Number

Every bitcoin is guarded by a number. Here is what that number is, how it turns into an address, and why the board keeps throwing them away.

5 minute read · Explains: Keys tried this session, Random key, thrown away, Address (for this key)
How Big Is 2²⁵⁶?

The number of possible keys, the number of possible addresses, and what the chance per key on the board actually measures.

6 minute read · Explains: Chance per key, Like winning Powerball, One atom in the Earth
The Speed Problem

A laptop tries a hundred thousand keys a second. A data centre tries more. Here is why no amount of hardware gets the wait below the age of the universe.

6 minute read · Explains: Keys per second, Expected wait, Ages of the universe
Could Two People Get The Same Key?

The birthday paradox says coincidences come sooner than you think. Here is how much sooner, and why it still does not reach anyone’s wallet.

5 minute read · Explains: Every visitor so far, Chance any of them hit
What Actually Breaks Bitcoin Wallets

Coins do get stolen. Never by guessing a random key. Here is what goes wrong instead, and what it means for anyone holding bitcoin.

6 minute read · Explains: Funded matches