Secp256k1

What is Secp256k1

Secp256k1 refers to a specific elliptic curve and set of parameters used in the implementation of the Elliptic Curve Digital Signature Algorithm (ECDSA). The "SECP" stands for "Standards for Efficient Cryptography," and "256" indicates the size of the key in bits. The "K1" denotes that this curve is specifically designed for use in cryptography.

The Secp256k1 elliptic curve is defined over the finite field of prime order. The equation of the curve is: $y^2 = x^3 + 7 \mod p$.

where:

• $p$ is a large prime number (the field modulus),
• $x$ and $y$ are the coordinates of a point on the curve.

Secp256k1 has gained significant prominence due to its use in various blockchain networks, most notably in Bitcoin and Ethereum. Secp256k1 is used for key pair generation, digital signatures, and verification of transactions. Addresses are derived from public keys generated using this elliptic curve.

The choice of Secp256k1 for Ethereum was influenced by several factors, including the efficiency of the curve's arithmetic operations, its resistance to certain types of cryptographic attacks, and its relatively simple mathematical structure. The properties of Secp256k1 make it well-suited for the cryptographic requirements of blockchain applications, providing a good balance between security and computational efficiency.

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For more detailed overview, please follow this wiki-page.

Available Functions

On this page you will find all the available functions for Secp256k1 curve implemented in this plugin.

Generate Private Key

Generate Private Key (secp256k1) is a function that allows you to generate a Private Key using secp256k1. There is a slight chance of failure on untested platforms, but in general the plugin should work on all platforms.

The function returns the following:

• Private Key 1: The generated private key.
• Success 2: A boolean value indicating whether the private key generation was successful or not.

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We strongly recommend using this function for Private Key generation since it's using a high secure random byte function.

Generate Public Key

Generate Public Key (secp256k1) is a function that allows you to generate a Public Key from a specified Private Key using secp256k1.

This function requires the following inputs:

• Private Key 1: The private key to use for generating the public key.

The function returns the following:

• Public Key 2: The generated public key.
• Success 3: A boolean value indicating whether the public key generation was successful or not.

Is Private Key Valid

Is Private Key Valid (secp256k1) is a function that checks if the given private key is valid for Secp256k1.

This function requires the following inputs:

• Private Key 1: The private key to validate.

The function returns the following:

• Success 2: A boolean value indicating whether the given private key is valid for Secp256k1 or not.

Is Public Key Valid

Is Public Key Valid (secp256k1) is a function that checks if the given public key is valid for Secp256k1.

This function requires the following inputs:

• Public Key 1: The public key to validate.

The function returns the following:

• Success 2: A boolean value indicating whether the given public key is valid for Secp256k1 or not.

Generate Shared Secret

Generate Shared Secret (secp256k1) is a function that generates a shared secret using Secp256k1. This shared secret is typically derived from your private key and someone's public key to establish a secure communication channel or to derive additional keys for symmetric encryption.

This function requires the following inputs:

• Public Key 1: The public key to use for generating the secret.
• Private Key 2: The private key to use for generating the secret.

The function returns the following:

• Secret 3: The generated secret.
• Success 4: A boolean value indicating whether the shared secret generation using Secp256k1 was successful or not.

Create Signature

Create Signature (secp256k1) is a function that signs the given hash with the private key using Secp256k1.

This function requires the following inputs:

• Private Key 1: The private key to use for signing.
• Hash 2: The hashed message to sign.

The function returns the following:

• Signature 3: The created signature.
• Success 4: A boolean value indicating whether the signing using Secp256k1 was successful or not.

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Requires the given hash to be at least 16 bytes in length. Too short and it will fail. Too long and the overflowing bytes will be cut off.

Create Signature Deterministic

Create Signature (Deterministic) (secp256k1) is a function that signs the given hash deterministically with the private key using Secp256k1.

This function requires the following inputs:

• Private Key 1: The private key to use for signing.
• Hash 2: The hashed message to sign.
• Hash Type 3: Type of the hash function used in hashing the message.

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Hash Type has to match the actual hash function used when hashing the message. Different hash type will result in an invalid signature.

The function returns the following:

• Signature 4: The created signature.
• Success 5: A boolean value indicating whether the deterministic signing using Secp256k1 was successful or not.

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Requires the given hash to be at least 16 bytes in length. Too short and it will fail. Too long and the overflowing bytes will be cut off.

Verify Signature

Verify Signature (secp256k1) is a function that checks if the signature of a signed hash with the provided public key using Secp256k1 is valid.

This function requires the following inputs:

• Public Key 1: The signer's public key to use for verifying the given hashed message and signature.
• Hash 2: The hashed message that was used to create the signature.
• Signature 3: The signature to verify it matches with the given signer's public key and the hashed message.

The function returns the following:

• Success 4: A boolean value indicating whether the signature of a signed hash using Secp256k1 is valid or not.

Compress Public Key

Compress Public Key (secp256k1) is a function that compresses the public key using Secp256k1.

This function requires the following inputs:

• Public Key 1: The uncompressed public key.

The function returns the following:

• Compressed Public Key 2: The compressed public key.
• Success 3: A boolean value indicating whether the compression of the public key using Secp256k1 was successful or not.

Decompress Public Key

Decompress Public Key (secp256k1) is a function that decompresses the compressed public key using Secp256k1.

This function requires the following inputs:

• Compressed Public Key 1: The compressed public key.

The function returns the following:

• Public Key 2: The uncompressed public key.
• Success 3: A boolean value indicating whether the decompression of the public key using Secp256k1 was successful or not.

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The function might return false if the decompressed public key is not valid.