Private keys, 256 bits?

[jackjack]

Hi all
I just asked Openssl to create a new DSA pkey of 256 bits.
This is what it answers:

private key length is too short; it needs to be at least 384 bits, not 256

Looks like it comes from here, where (newkey < MIN_KEY_LENGTH) is false because MIN_KEY_LENGTH=384

So what is happening here? Am I doing something wrong? Bitcoin uses a modified version of Openssl?

[Zeilap]

Bitcoin uses ECDSA.

[jackjack]

Oh wow I didn't even check if they were the same... That seemed obvious to me
I feel dumb, but well, thanks!

[etotheipi]

Bitcoin uses ECDSA.

This.

ECDSA was picked for Bitcoin because it has much shorter keylengths than other digital signing scheme/crypto schemes.   For instance, all the following keylengths are approximately equal in terms of mathematical entropy:

--3,072-bit RSA key
--256-bit ECDSA key
--128-bit AES key

There is no doubt that an AES 128 key is sufficient protection, probably for decades, if not longer (protection against well-funded attacker with a billion dollars of computing resources)