where are private keys stored?

[raslimali]

Your private key is (or better: should be) only stored in your wallet on your PC / mobile / whatever device you are using.
They are not stored on the blockchain at all.

Your private key is used to sign transactions. These signatures can be verified using the corresponding public key.
No one needs access to your private key to verify signatures.

So in case of etherdelta for example, it is an online wallet, do they have my private key? When you open an account there you are given a private key.

In the case of etherdelta, they don't have your private key. The private key is generated locally in your browser.
You are not given the key from their server.

I am just wondering if the blockchain has no memory how does it know whether the secret key i entered is correct or not.

Thanks for replying. But my logic is still troubled. Let us say I have imported a wallet from etherdelta to a metamask extension which I have on a different pc from the one I used to create my etherdelta account. If as someone here said that private wallets are created and stored locally in my browser, how does the other computer know if the private key I am now entering on metamask to import an account is correct or not?
You don't ever enter your private key anywhere.
You sign a transaction using your private key. And everyone can verify it by using the public key.

For visualization:
A transaction = "I want to transact X BTC from address 1 to address 2
Then you sign the transaction using the private key of address 1.
Everyone can then verify the signature by using the public key of address 1.

Please note that this visualization is not completely technically correct. But it gives you an idea how it works.

[raslimali]

Thanks for replying. But my logic is still troubled. Let us say I have imported a wallet from etherdelta to a metamask extension which I have on a different pc from the one I used to create my etherdelta account. If as someone here said that private wallets are created and stored locally in my browser, how does the other computer know if the private key I am now entering on metamask to import an account is correct or not?

[bob123]

[...] how does the other computer know if the private key I am now entering on metamask to import an account is correct or not?

A private key basically is just a big random number.
When you import a private key into a wallet, it derives the public key and the address.

If there is nothing wrong (e.g. sanity checks / amount of bits), it is a valid private key and will therefore produce a valid public key and address.

[raslimali]

Your private key is (or better: should be) only stored in your wallet on your PC / mobile / whatever device you are using.
They are not stored on the blockchain at all.

Your private key is used to sign transactions. These signatures can be verified using the corresponding public key.
No one needs access to your private key to verify signatures.

So in case of etherdelta for example, it is an online wallet, do they have my private key? When you open an account there you are given a private key.

In the case of etherdelta, they don't have your private key. The private key is generated locally in your browser.
You are not given the key from their server.
So can someone access my browser cache and find the key?

I am just wondering if the blockchain has no memory how does it know whether the secret key i entered is correct or not.

You don't ever enter your private key anywhere.
You sign a transaction using your private key. And everyone can verify it by using the public key.

For visualization:
A transaction = "I want to transact X BTC from address 1 to address 2
Then you sign the transaction using the private key of address 1.
Everyone can then verify the signature by using the public key of address 1.

Please note that this visualization is not completely technically correct. But it gives you an idea how it works.

[raslimali]

So is it right to say in case of etherdelta the private key is stored in my browser cache? If yes that means anyone who can access my cache can also see my key?

[xhomerx10]

Private keys are generated by a complex mathematical algorithm outside the blockchain network. The public key and address are then generated from the private key automatically during each transaction. Both keys are stored inside a wallet file and managed by the wallet software.

Rerence is here: https://hackernoon.com/bitcoin-safety-a-guide-on-how-to-keep-your-wallet-and-private-keys-secure-94cf7b7f4a00#:~:text=Private%20keys%20are%20generated%20by,managed%20by%20the%20wallet%20software.

So here the software is your bitcoin core.

Where does the blockchain store private keys for bitcoin addresses?

Blockchain is not storing any private key information.

 LOL Hacker noon article.

" i. A private key

This is a 64-character long code that includes any blend of the letters A-F and the numbers 1–9. "


Safety guide FAIL!

[bob123]

So is it right to say in case of etherdelta the private key is stored in my browser cache? If yes that means anyone who can access my cache can also see my key?

I don't know how etherdelta works excactly.
But it is not in the cache. It is either in the storage of your browser (most likely since i guess you don't have to "upload" it manually, right?) or a file on your computer (if you need to choose the file each time by "uploading" it).

In both cases. If someone has access to your browser (i.e. by having access to your device), and the wallet file / private keys are not encrypted, they have full access, yes.

[raslimali]

So is it right to say in case of etherdelta the private key is stored in my browser cache? If yes that means anyone who can access my cache can also see my key?

I don't know how etherdelta works excactly.
But it is not in the cache. It is either in the storage of your browser (most likely since i guess you don't have to "upload" it manually, right?) or a file on your computer (if you need to choose the file each time by "uploading" it).

In both cases. If someone has access to your browser (i.e. by having access to your device), and the wallet file / private keys are not encrypted, they have full access, yes.

Thanks for your insights. My worry is that since when someone opens an account with etherdelta by simply clicking NEW ACCOUNT, you get a public address and a private key which you are prompted to copy and save it somewhere else, but as long as you are trading on etherdelta there is no way to log out and log in again so your public address remains there on your browser alongside with your private key. If someone gets hold of your computer it is just a matter of clicking EXPORT KEY and he has your key! The only way to log out there is to remove account. That means when you want to trade again you have to import your account!

[raslimali]

So is it right to say in case of etherdelta the private key is stored in my browser cache? If yes that means anyone who can access my cache can also see my key?

I don't know how etherdelta works excactly.
But it is not in the cache. It is either in the storage of your browser (most likely since i guess you don't have to "upload" it manually, right?) or a file on your computer (if you need to choose the file each time by "uploading" it).

In both cases. If someone has access to your browser (i.e. by having access to your device), and the wallet file / private keys are not encrypted, they have full access, yes.

Thanks for your insights. My worry is that since when someone opens an account with etherdelta by simply clicking NEW ACCOUNT, you get a public address and a private key which you are prompted to copy and save it somewhere else, but as long as you are trading on etherdelta there is no way to log out and log in again so your public address remains there on your browser alongside with your private key. If someone gets hold of your computer it is just a matter of clicking EXPORT KEY and he has your key! The only way to log out there is to remove account. That means when you want to trade again you have to import your account!

I do not have to upload it or a file so your assumption is correct.

[khaled0111]

So is it right to say in case of etherdelta the private key is stored in my browser cache? If yes that means anyone who can access my cache can also see my key?

the safest way to use Ethetdelta is to connect to it using MetaMask. This way you will be sure that your private key never leaves your computer. Whenever you want to make a transaction you will be asked to sign it using MetaMask and you don't have to provide the PK.
One more thing, ED uses a smart contract and basically you have to deposit your coins on that smart contract to be able to trade them. AFAIK, the private key you create using ED is used to interact with the contract and is saved only on your browser. If you lose it, thete is no way to recover it and no one have access to it unless your computer gets compromised or you log in to a phishing website.

[DoublerHunter]

So is it right to say in case of etherdelta the private key is stored in my browser cache? If yes that means anyone who can access my cache can also see my key?

^ Probably yes, in this case, don't use your main wallet when you are using the Etherdelta exchange platform. This is what I had did before when I was active collecting token from the airdrop and sell on the DEX. Make a brand new Myethereum wallet as your disposable wallet to import your private key, either me, I did not feel safe trusting your private on DEX exchange. 
Nevertheless, the suggestion above was right. Metamask is very safe to use but there are certain disadvantages of using chrome extension that I don't like.

[rathaha10]

Hello community. Where does the blockchain store private keys for bitcoin addresses? They must really be stored somewhere. If I have for an example an online wallet with a private key, I think my private key is stored somewhere and not in my PC.

To my understanding, i believe you are talking about the blockchain wallet platform that provides wallet for bitcoin and other top assets on both web and mobile apps and not Blockchain as the technology behind cryptocurrency. Blockchain wallet is a custodian wallet and they have access to your private keys and to certain extent even your  activities on the wallet platform. However, if your to use a non custodian wallet, you will be the one responsible for keeping your keys safe and it will not be on any server unless you uploaded it

[bitcoinst]

Let us take an example of an online wallet which I have and have private keys. It is on ethereum block chain from etherdelta. When you create an account there you get a private key. But is that private key only available or recognized when I use the device through which I created the account? It is definitely not because I can import my account to say a metamask extension to another device .

It all depends on the program code, if the source code is open, then finding out whether the application stores private keys is not difficult.
There are applications that store all the information in the root of the phone, as a rule, these applications come from intruders.

[Stedsm]

Hello community. Where does the blockchain store private keys for bitcoin addresses? They must really be stored somewhere. If I have for an example an online wallet with a private key, I think my private key is stored somewhere and not in my PC.

It is stored on your PC only. If not, how will the wallet access the same and give you back your public keys in return?
It's you who need to store them at a safe and secure place like -
1. Paper wallet
2. Hardware wallets
3. Cryptosteel
4. Memory card or USB drive (not just one but few copies)