How do paper wallets work?

[PeterB]

let's just say I don't trust bit address.org, do I have other alternatives except vanitygen?

You can take a random photo, and calculate the sha256 of that file.

For example this photo:



gives you a sha256 value of: 3FB87FD7F7BA0A99FE57BFEEE53ED702B960A4722C28911E9C0FBFF0F124ED43

convert to base58 format: 5JJMEwwis8xEE94RhAEYwL1C7NS2nBPjZSqpKBzZReKmvtqR5j8
which is your standard format private key.

calculate corresponding Bitcoin address: 1D3GRn91KXWwMkpCkzw7j1f286kk6SyRPW


DO NOT use photos you found on the internet like I did in this example, but choose a random photo taken with your digital camera. This gives you a highly random key if you do not trust bitaddress.org or vanitygen.

Interesting process, never heard of that before.  Thanks.

[1715462797]

1715462797

[1715462797]

1715462797

[J35st3r]

let's just say I don't trust bit address.org, do I have other alternatives except vanitygen?

calculate corresponding Bitcoin address: 1D3GRn91KXWwMkpCkzw7j1f286kk6SyRPW


DO NOT use photos you found on the internet like I did in this example, but choose a random photo taken with your digital camera. This gives you a highly random key if you do not trust bitaddress.org or vanitygen.

How did you calculate the corresponding Bitcoin Address?

OK, since rumbitla is offline and this has dropped off the front page, I will hazard this ...

Use bitadress.org (sorry) wallet details tab, or use the keyconv utility than comes with vanitygen. [EDIT] Just tried it, seems you also need a base58 converter (google it) before keyconv will accept it. I also came across brainwallet.org which is another offline key generator.

And and as a bonus, to caclulate the sha256 of the picture ... download it to your PC and google for a sha256 hash calculator (I used the one built into my hex editor HxD). But don't use a public picture, use one from your digital camera for example. Then you have a secret picture key that you can use to recreate your private key at will, cool  

[NoBit]

let's just say I don't trust bit address.org, do I have other alternatives except vanitygen?

calculate corresponding Bitcoin address: 1D3GRn91KXWwMkpCkzw7j1f286kk6SyRPW


DO NOT use photos you found on the internet like I did in this example, but choose a random photo taken with your digital camera. This gives you a highly random key if you do not trust bitaddress.org or vanitygen.

How did you calculate the corresponding Bitcoin Address?

OK, since rumbitla is offline and this has dropped off the front page, I will hazard this ...

Use bitadress.org (sorry) wallet details tab, or use the keyconv utility than comes with vanitygen. [EDIT] Just tried it, seems you also need a base58 converter (google it) before keyconv will accept it. I also came across brainwallet.org which is another offline key generator.

And and as a bonus, to caclulate the sha256 of the picture ... download it to your PC and google for a sha256 hash calculator (I used the one built into my hex editor HxD). But don't use a public picture, use one from your digital camera for example. Then you have a secret picture key that you can use to recreate your private key at will, cool  

Thanks for your feedback!

[odolvlobo]

let's just say I don't trust bit address.org, do I have other alternatives except vanitygen?

calculate corresponding Bitcoin address: 1D3GRn91KXWwMkpCkzw7j1f286kk6SyRPW


DO NOT use photos you found on the internet like I did in this example, but choose a random photo taken with your digital camera. This gives you a highly random key if you do not trust bitaddress.org or vanitygen.

How did you calculate the corresponding Bitcoin Address?

Generate the private key ("3FB87FD7F7BA0A99FE57BFEEE53ED702B960A4722C28911E9C0FBFF0F124ED43" in the example above), enter it into the "0 - Private ECDSA Key" field on this page: http://gobittest.appspot.com/Address, and click on send. The page will show you all the steps used to create the public key.

[coinchase]

Thank you guys SO MUCH. This was what I didn't understand but after reading all of the responses I have a much better understanding. I'm going to refer back to this a lot.

[ropavaje]

Thanks, i will try it

[bitleif]

Generate the private key ("3FB87FD7F7BA0A99FE57BFEEE53ED702B960A4722C28911E9C0FBFF0F124ED43" in the example above), enter it into the "0 - Private ECDSA Key" field on this page: http://gobittest.appspot.com/Address, and click on send. The page will show you all the steps used to create the public key.

Not to be picky on the security, but that site sends your keys over the network in plaintext (not even https), meaning not only do you have to trust the server but also every internet node along the way. Someone could specifically be sniffing that site, and all public addresses generated from it would be easy to recognizable on the blockchain if you tried to use them. That would potentially give an attacker instant access to your money. Then again I'm being paranoid