Security of Bitcoin Address

[mendace]

What are the chances of anyone accidentally creating the same Bitcoin address? Is it remotely possible or there is some kind of checks before network, software, God or something would do a check first before approving the Bitcoin address. Again, I'm just thinking out loud. Hmmm...🤔

It is extremely unlikely that two identical Bitcoin addresses will be created accidentally.  This is because Bitcoin addresses are generated by a cryptographic hash function, which transforms the input into a unique, pseudo-random string of fixed-length characters.

 The probability that two different inputs produce the same hash output is extremely low, almost negligible.  However, while the probability is extremely low, it is not technically impossible for two identical Bitcoin addresses to be created accidentally.  But the probability is so low that the possibility of such an occurrence is generally regarded as insignificant.

Anyway , a similar question had already been asked https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=233503.0

[The Cryptovator]

I am wondering why are you concerned about that which is impossible. You should know how Bitcoin address works. The user's public key, which is a 256-bit string produced at random, is where bitcoin addresses are obtained from. So, there are 2^256 different combinations of public - key that are theoretically feasible, which is a very large number. The public key is used by Bitcoin to generate a unique address using a cryptographic hash algorithm (SHA-256). Since hash functions are anticipated to be one-way operations, it is essentially impossible to determine the decryption key again from Bitcoin address. Even I believe super computer system won't count it reverse. This adds an added level of security and ends up making it very impossible for anyone to unintentionally generate a Bitcoin address that already belongs to someone else. So don't be confused about Bitcoin address. If it weren't safe then we can't use it and won't become popular like this.

[JustAsk]

Here is a good parable.

Given your example of 1 billion users at 10 addresses each:

There are 2^160 or about 1,460,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 possible addresses
In your scenario, 1,000,000,000 people are using 10 addresses each for a total of 10,000,000,000 possible addresses
10,000,000,000 / 2^160 should yield the probability of a collision occurring
10,000,000,000 / 2^160 = 0.00000000000000000000000000000000000000684

So the chances of a collision occurring in your scenario are approximately 0.000000000000000000000000000000000000684%

Possibility increases drastically when there is divine intervention.

You are talking about case when we need to check ALL of existing variants. But we don't.

[krashfire]

What are the chances of anyone accidentally creating the same Bitcoin address? Is it remotely possible or there is some kind of checks before network, software, God or something would do a check first before approving the Bitcoin address. Again, I'm just thinking out loud. Hmmm...🤔

This question is just like you asking your parents to give birth to somebody just exactly like you in resemblance, character, attitude and every aspect of you and do you think you will be of the same age too?
This question you have asked is rhetorical. If that should happen then what is the possibility that your funds would be safe because the probability of having same wallet keys is narrow if it is feasible. So OP,  I do not think you will really get a clearer picture of what you want neither will you get a direct answer for this question you have just asked. Just as LoyceV has said, you can start that way and wait for your answer.

that's a stupid anology. But kudos for trying to act your thoughts mattered. Go fuck yourself.

[Synchronice]

What are the chances of anyone accidentally creating the same Bitcoin address? Is it remotely possible or there is some kind of checks before network, software, God or something would do a check first before approving the Bitcoin address. Again, I'm just thinking out loud. Hmmm...🤔

You can easily answer your question by doing this: Download VanitySearch and follow the instruction on redme.md file.

For example, let's take Satoshi's first address: 1A1zP1eP5QGefi2DMPTfTL5SLmv7DivfNa.
My GPU is RTX 2060, let's use my GPU with VanitySearch and calculate how long it takes to generate exactly that address.

So, did it and have a look at these numbers:


With 951.41 Mkey/s it takes me 3.37637e+31 years. Keep in mind that e stands for exponent of 10. This will give you an idea how secure they are. So, don't worry about that, if that was the case, exchanges wouldn't exist.