Difference between revisions of "Wallet import format"

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1 - Take a private key
 
1 - Take a private key
 
     0C28FCA386C7A227600B2FE50B7CAE11EC86D3BF1FBE471BE89827E19D72AA1D
 
     0C28FCA386C7A227600B2FE50B7CAE11EC86D3BF1FBE471BE89827E19D72AA1D
2 - Add a 0x80 byte in front of it
+
2 - Add a 0x80 byte in front of it for mainnet addresses or 0xef for testnet addresses
 
     800C28FCA386C7A227600B2FE50B7CAE11EC86D3BF1FBE471BE89827E19D72AA1D
 
     800C28FCA386C7A227600B2FE50B7CAE11EC86D3BF1FBE471BE89827E19D72AA1D
 
3 - Perform SHA-256 hash on the extended key
 
3 - Perform SHA-256 hash on the extended key
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6 - Make sure it is the same, as the last 4 bytes from point 2
 
6 - Make sure it is the same, as the last 4 bytes from point 2
 
     507A5B8D
 
     507A5B8D
7 - If they are, and the byte string from point 2 starts with 0x80, there is no error.
+
7 - If they are, and the byte string from point 2 starts with 0x80 (0xef for testnet addresses), then there is no error.
  
 
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Revision as of 22:32, 6 December 2013

Wallet Import Format (WIF, also known as Wallet Export Format) is a way of encoding a private ECDSA key so as to make it easier to copy.

A testing suite is available for encoding and decoding of WIF at:

http://gobittest.appspot.com/PrivateKey

Private key to WIF

1 - Take a private key

   0C28FCA386C7A227600B2FE50B7CAE11EC86D3BF1FBE471BE89827E19D72AA1D

2 - Add a 0x80 byte in front of it for mainnet addresses or 0xef for testnet addresses

   800C28FCA386C7A227600B2FE50B7CAE11EC86D3BF1FBE471BE89827E19D72AA1D

3 - Perform SHA-256 hash on the extended key

   8147786C4D15106333BF278D71DADAF1079EF2D2440A4DDE37D747DED5403592

4 - Perform SHA-256 hash on result of SHA-256 hash

   507A5B8DFED0FC6FE8801743720CEDEC06AA5C6FCA72B07C49964492FB98A714

5 - Take the first 4 bytes of the second SHA-256 hash, this is the checksum

   507A5B8D

6 - Add the 4 checksum bytes from point 5 at the end of the extended key from point 2

   800C28FCA386C7A227600B2FE50B7CAE11EC86D3BF1FBE471BE89827E19D72AA1D507A5B8D

7 - Convert the result from a byte string into a base58 string using Base58Check encoding. This is the Wallet Import Format

   5HueCGU8rMjxEXxiPuD5BDku4MkFqeZyd4dZ1jvhTVqvbTLvyTJ

WIF to private key

1 - Take a Wallet Import Format string

   5HueCGU8rMjxEXxiPuD5BDku4MkFqeZyd4dZ1jvhTVqvbTLvyTJ

2 - Convert it to a byte string using Base58Check encoding

   800C28FCA386C7A227600B2FE50B7CAE11EC86D3BF1FBE471BE89827E19D72AA1D507A5B8D

3 - Drop the last 4 checksum bytes from the byte string

   800C28FCA386C7A227600B2FE50B7CAE11EC86D3BF1FBE471BE89827E19D72AA1D

4 - Drop the first byte (it should be 0x80). This is the private key

   0C28FCA386C7A227600B2FE50B7CAE11EC86D3BF1FBE471BE89827E19D72AA1D

WIF checksum checking

1 - Take the Wallet Import Format string

   5HueCGU8rMjxEXxiPuD5BDku4MkFqeZyd4dZ1jvhTVqvbTLvyTJ

2 - Convert it to a byte string using Base58Check encoding

   800C28FCA386C7A227600B2FE50B7CAE11EC86D3BF1FBE471BE89827E19D72AA1D507A5B8D

3 - Drop the last 4 checksum bytes from the byte string

   800C28FCA386C7A227600B2FE50B7CAE11EC86D3BF1FBE471BE89827E19D72AA1D

3 - Perform SHA-256 hash on the shortened string

   8147786C4D15106333BF278D71DADAF1079EF2D2440A4DDE37D747DED5403592

4 - Perform SHA-256 hash on result of SHA-256 hash

   507A5B8DFED0FC6FE8801743720CEDEC06AA5C6FCA72B07C49964492FB98A714

5 - Take the first 4 bytes of the second SHA-256 hash, this is the checksum

   507A5B8D

6 - Make sure it is the same, as the last 4 bytes from point 2

   507A5B8D

7 - If they are, and the byte string from point 2 starts with 0x80 (0xef for testnet addresses), then there is no error.

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