convert bitcoin address to ethereum address

[handschi]

i found this site on hackernews:

https://free-online-app.com/bitcoin-2-ethereum-address-converter/

bitcoin2ethereum
Did you know? You can generate an ETHEREUM address for any existing BITCOIN-address.

Given the BTC address was already used to SEND.

sending leaks the full public key, so we can use the pubkey to generate an ETH address from it.

The generated ethereum address can be controlled with the same private key.

This way you can send ETH assets to someone you only know his BTC address.

i tested some bitcoin addresses and for each one it gives me an ethereum address.
this way i could send somebody a donation in an ERC20 token although i only know his bitcoin address.


it also links to this:

https://free-online-app.com/bitcoin-ethereum-private-key-converter/

BTC<->ETH Private Key Converter

Generate an ETHEREUM address from a BITCOIN private key or vice versa.

obviously i can generate an ethereum keypair from my bitcoin WIF on there.

is this too good to be true or can this be done without problems?

i find it very inviting to have one key for all my crypto needs.

are there any security problems?

the private key converter states

Download this one-file-html-app and run it offline for best security!

i cursorly jumped through the html/js code and it has no external dependencies.

i think about putting this onto my linux-crypto-usb-boot-stick.

thanks for any input!

[cryptoaddictchie]

I tried some btc address segwit to convert into ethereum address. Then its noted no private key on the network? At first I thought its possible but thinking about it. How can this be possible having two different blockchain?

Also I found it suspicious that we can come up with an ethereum address using a private key of bitcoin? You mean we need to input our keys to do? No way, its like a a suicide when you copy a bitcoin private key to an unknown website.

Generate an ETHEREUM address from a BITCOIN private key or vice versa.

Inputting a PK is a risk for everyone. Not a good way to acquire an ethereum or btc address from this. Might just create a new one from trusted mew, or bitcoin core wallet

[handschi]

ofcourse copy/pasting private keys around the web is a NO-NO.

the site clearly states

Download this one-file-html-app and run it offline for best security!

thats what i ofcourse do when working with my keys!!!

i now tried it.

i made a bitcoin key and did a transaction to it and away from it:

https://www.blockchain.com/btc/address/194hjYrZPP7jL5FHhd8FWXTw3SU96k8G39

then i converted my key to an ethereum one and also sent a little there and away:

https://etherscan.io/address/0x998ada06ae837a0c36d6ab9c2073acddfa817fb7

both have the same private key.

nice tool.

[rosezionjohn]

I would not be surprised if one day I see you complain that your funds are stolen because you downloaded some file from some website. How convenient it must be for hackers that someone would actually use their work and hand their private keys.

[bitbunnny]

I would not be surprised if one day I see you complain that your funds are stolen because you downloaded some file from some website. How convenient it must be for hackers that someone would actually use their work and hand their private keys.

Exactly, people are too careless and don't have in mind security. Wallets and cryptocurrency in general are so vulnerable and we have to be very careful what we install, what data we share and especialy we shouldn't give out our private keys. If you don't act like that don't be surprised if one day you lose your coins.

[Rodeo02]

I would not be surprised if one day I see you complain that your funds are stolen because you downloaded some file from some website. How convenient it must be for hackers that someone would actually use their work and hand their private keys.

And its much secured if you make different wallet to eth and btc there is no reason for you to use the same private key from different address?
 Its much easier to make a wallet and stored your keys to safe place , than give your to trust to unknown website that claiming they can make you both eth and btc address with the same private key.

[Yaunfitda]

I would not be surprised if one day I see you complain that your funds are stolen because you downloaded some file from some website. How convenient it must be for hackers that someone would actually use their work and hand their private keys.

Correct, of course right now we can say that this is a good tool to used.

However, one day we might see someone bitching around the community and say that he had lost his BTC when using some online tools that supposedly clean. Could be good if you are not playing with huge amount of BTC here, just to get how the supposedly conversion works.

But better to stay with BTC and then separate your funds with Ethereum, just saying.

[fiulpro]

See I haven't tried it nor I know about it's credibility , but all I can tell you is , no matter what you should not do stunts like these and on the top of that use Information provided by a third party website .
Have you ever heard about phishing ?
Search it up , you can really be in a problem one day .
I don't even understand why do you need to do this , just chill and use things , the way they are supposed to be used .
Don't play with them untill and unless you know more than anyone about them .

[odolvlobo]

This is how it works:

1. Use the address to find the public key in the block chain. In order to send bitcoins, the sender must provide the public key that corresponds to the address holding the bitcoins. That is the reason for the requirement, "Given the BTC address was already used to SEND."
2. Just as a Bitcoin address is derived from the public key, so is an Ethereum address.
3. A public key is derived from a private key. Since both the Bitcoin address and ethereum address come from the same public key, they also come from the same private key.

Actually, since the addresses of many types of coins are derived from public keys. You can do the same trick with other coins, too (as long as they use the secp256k1 ECC curve).

[Asuspawer09]

I would not be surprised if one day I see you complain that your funds are stolen because you downloaded some file from some website. How convenient it must be for hackers that someone would actually use their work and hand their private keys.

Correct, of course right now we can say that this is a good tool to used.

However, one day we might see someone bitching around the community and say that he had lost his BTC when using some online tools that supposedly clean. Could be good if you are not playing with huge amount of BTC here, just to get how the supposedly conversion works.

But better to stay with BTC and then separate your funds with Ethereum, just saying.

I agree with that I think this kind of method is completely unnecessary, Also this is not how the system works. Your method might work but I don't think anybody is going to risk their funds in this method.

Anyway, it is more secure if you are justs going to follow and create a different wallet address for BTC and Ethereum since this is how it works, and for sure it will be fixed soon so completely not recommended for everybody.

[hatshepsut93]

Unless the whole process can be done offline, i wouldn't use the service/tool, it's simply too risky for minor convenience.

Besides, when we're talking about convenience, IMO it's more convenience to use multi-cryptocurrency wallet with 1 backup (either mnemonic seed or wallet file).

I don't see any security risks here, you're not generating any private keys with this trick, and it only uses publicly available information. Bitcoin public keys can already be recovered from blockchain data if you spent coins from that address, and you can't generate a private key for a known public key.

Also, for the purposes of this method signing a message would work too, since you can also recover a public key from that signature too. So, you can generate Ethereum address even if you didn't spend coins on that BTC address yet.

[pakhitheboss]

I would not be surprised if one day I see you complain that your funds are stolen because you downloaded some file from some website. How convenient it must be for hackers that someone would actually use their work and hand their private keys.

The way OP is trying to convince everyone here makes it more evident that he has no clue what can happen to his Bitcoin wallet. It is already compromised and chances of it getting hacked is pretty high.

How on the earth is it possible to use a same privately on  two different Blockchain. They both work on different algorithm. You can fool yourself and not others.

[pooya87]

this only makes sense if you aim to only have some fun and play around with cryptography (Elliptic curves and hashing) otherwise things like this should never even be used. a private key must be generated separately for one purpose and NEVER be used for another.
not paying attention to that can easily lead to loss of funds specially when you use bad or untested implementations such as an altcoin wallet. it could leak your private keys through different ways including a simple leaking to more complicated ways such as faulty signature generator (weak RNG, reusing k)...

[Mulann2]

What is the essence of going through this process when you can easily have both within a snap of the finger, and how are you sure this is a very secure thing to do, remember this is your funds you are playing with,
I don't think I would want to try any of it out, creating both btc and eth wallet is free, there is no need for me to want to be smart and probably ended up regretting it, @op, hope you know what you are doing or the consequences if anything happens.

[davis196]

What is the essence of going through this process when you can easily have both within a snap of the finger, and how are you sure this is a very secure thing to do, remember this is your funds you are playing with,
I don't think I would want to try any of it out, creating both btc and eth wallet is free, there is no need for me to want to be smart and probably ended up regretting it, @op, hope you know what you are doing or the consequences if anything happens.

You are right.This is most likely some scam that targets cryptocurrency noobs,who think that this service might be convenient.I think that the users will "convert" their Bitcoin addresses into ethereum addresses that belong to the owner of this scam.Never give your private keys to any website or any person.The fact that there's some pseudo-technical information on that website,telling you that your private keys are safe is kinda disturbing as well.

[Nadziratel]

I still have trouble believing that such a thing is possible. But more importantly, I don't think that such a thing can be safe. Some form of security breach may be possible.
Do you think that can be safe for money?

[handschi]

thanks for all the answers.

most answers are obvious post-count-hunters who have no idea what they are talking about.

the converter clearly states in bold red letters:

Download this one-file-html-app and run it offline for best security!
Never paste private keys into unknown websites!

this is how i do it:

i run this html-js-app on an offline linux computer which i boot from a usb stick into a virgin operating system.

then i run the key converter.

then i write up the public addresses and send funds to these.

this way the private key never even has a chance to reach the internet.

for me this is ideal.

i generated 1 private key which i use for both: bitcoin and ethereum networks.

i put some money on these 2 addresses regularly as a saving for my kids.

this way i have to only inherit 1 private key to my kids.


if you have a windows-10 computer which you use to run all kinds of games, warez and browser-plugins, then handling a private key is ofcourse troublesome.

[Bountyhonter]

This sounds too risky, if you want to send someone ethereum or Ethereum based tokens why not ask the person for his/her ethereum wallet address instead of going through this risky process and the person might not even know you sent anything if the person doesn't use the ethereum wallet.

[BitMaxz]

Download this one-file-html-app and run it offline for best security!
Never paste private keys into unknown websites!

I agree with you but it still not safe to use even you run it in offline mode.

But how they actually generate an ethereum address with your Bitcoin address?
Do you think the generated ETH address is only controlled by you? Or possible they generated an ETH address which is controlled by the owner of this website.

And how do you trust a few months old website which is not well-known and honestly, never heard of this website?

So, if your plan is to convert your Bitcoin address to ETH on that website much better to stay away. I don't feel safe using this tool even you run it offline because we don't know if the generated ETH address is controlled by us and maybe we are sending ETH as a donation to totally different ETH controlled by the owner of this website.

[handschi]

Unless the whole process can be done offline, i wouldn't use the service/tool, it's simply too risky for minor convenience.

Besides, when we're talking about convenience, IMO it's more convenience to use multi-cryptocurrency wallet with 1 backup (either mnemonic seed or wallet file).

I don't see any security risks here, you're not generating any private keys with this trick, and it only uses publicly available information. Bitcoin public keys can already be recovered from blockchain data if you spent coins from that address, and you can't generate a private key for a known public key.

Also, for the purposes of this method signing a message would work too, since you can also recover a public key from that signature too. So, you can generate Ethereum address even if you didn't spend coins on that BTC address yet.

True, but the reason i mention security risks because :
1. the website also offer private key converter between BTC/ETH on address converter page.
2. OP also ask about private key converter

thanks for all the answers.

most answers are obvious post-count-hunters who have no idea what they are talking about.

the converter clearly states in bold red letters:

Download this one-file-html-app and run it offline for best security!
Never paste private keys into unknown websites!

While it's good advice, the website you mentioned reputation is unknown. Who knows if he put backdoor such as fixed k value in it's ECDSA parameter?

thats a matter when transactions are being built.

the way private/public key pairs are made is fixed anyway. there is no random parameter in building the keypair.

i found that AETERNITY currency uses a similar key transaltor:
https://aeternity.com/key-translate/
spits me the same results.