Wallet import format
This page contains sample addresses and/or private keys. Do not send bitcoins to or import any sample keys; you will lose your money.
A wallet import format (WIF, also known as a wallet export format) is a way of encoding a private ECDSA key so as to make it easier to copy.
Private key to WIF
1. Take a private key.
0C28FCA386C7A227600B2FE50B7CAE_SAMPLE_PRIVATE_KEY_DO_NOT_IMPORT_11EC86D3BF1FBE471BE89827E19D72AA1D
2. Add a 0x80 byte in front of it for mainnet addresses or 0xef for testnet addresses. Also add a 0x01 byte at the end if the private key will correspond to a compressed public key.
800C28FCA386C7A227600B2FE50B7C_SAMPLE_PRIVATE_KEY_DO_NOT_IMPORT_AE11EC86D3BF1FBE471BE89827E19D72AA1D
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.
800C28FCA386C7A227600B2FE50B7CAE11EC8_SAMPLE_PRIVATE_KEY_DO_NOT_IMPORT_6D3BF1FBE471BE89827E19D72AA1D507A5B8D
7. Convert the result from a byte string into a base58 string using Base58Check encoding. This is the wallet import format (WIF).
5HueCGU8rMjxEXxiPuD5BDk_SAMPLE_PRIVATE_KEY_DO_NOT_IMPORT_u4MkFqeZyd4dZ1jvhTVqvbTLvyTJ
WIF to private key
1. Take a wallet import format (WIF) string.
5HueCGU8rMjxEXxiPuD5BDk_SAMPLE_PRIVATE_KEY_DO_NOT_IMPORT_u4MkFqeZyd4dZ1jvhTVqvbTLvyTJ
2. Convert it to a byte string using Base58Check encoding.
800C28FCA386C7A227600B2FE50B7CAE11EC_SAMPLE_PRIVATE_KEY_DO_NOT_IMPORT_86D3BF1FBE471BE89827E19D72AA1D507A5B8D
3. Drop the last 4 checksum bytes from the byte string.
800C28FCA386C7A227600B2FE50B7CAE11EC86D3BF1FBE471BE89827E19D72AA1D
4. Drop the first byte (it should be 0x80, however legacy Electrum[1][2] or some SegWit vanity address generators[3] may use 0x81-0x87). If the private key corresponded to a compressed public key, also drop the last byte (it should be 0x01). If it corresponded to a compressed public key, the WIF string will have started with K or L (or M, if it's exported from legacy Electrum[1][2] etc[3]) instead of 5 (or c instead of 9 on testnet). This is the private key.
0C28FCA386C7A227600B2FE50B7CAE1_SAMPLE_PRIVATE_KEY_DO_NOT_IMPORT_1EC86D3BF1FBE471BE89827E19D72AA1D
WIF checksum checking
1. Take the wallet import format (WIF) string.
5HueCGU8rMjxEXxiPuD5BD_SAMPLE_PRIVATE_KEY_DO_NOT_IMPORT_ku4MkFqeZyd4dZ1jvhTVqvbTLvyTJ
2. Convert it to a byte string using Base58Check encoding.
800C28FCA386C7A227600B2FE50B7CAE11E_SAMPLE_PRIVATE_KEY_DO_NOT_IMPORT_C86D3BF1FBE471BE89827E19D72AA1D507A5B8D
3. Drop the last 4 checksum bytes from the byte string.
800C28FCA386C7A227600B2FE50B7CAE11EC86D3BF1FBE471BE89827E19D72AA1D
4. Perform SHA-256 hash on the shortened string.
8147786C4D15106333BF278D71DADAF1079EF2D2440A4DDE37D747DED5403592
5. Perform SHA-256 hash on result of SHA-256 hash.
507A5B8DFED0FC6FE8801743720CEDEC06AA5C6FCA72B07C49964492FB98A714
6. Take the first 4 bytes of the second SHA-256 hash; this is the checksum.
507A5B8D
7. Make sure it is the same as the last 4 bytes from point 2.
507A5B8D
8. If they are, and the byte string from point 2 starts with 0x80 (0xef for testnet addresses), then there is no error.
References
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