<blockquote>
<p><strong>[what are] the different types of private key: number of characters and and with which characters the private keys start.</strong></p>
</blockquote>
<p>I have this note from <a href="https://en.bitcoin.it/wiki/List_of_address_prefixes" rel="nofollow noreferrer">https://en.bitcoin.it/wiki/List_of_address_prefixes</a></p>
<div class="s-table-container">
<table class="s-table">
<thead>
<tr>
<th>Decimal prefix</th>
<th>Hex</th>
<th>Example use</th>
<th>Leading symbol(s)</th>
<th>Example</th>
</tr>
</thead>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td>128</td>
<td>80</td>
<td>Private key (WIF, uncompressed pubkey)</td>
<td>5</td>
<td>5Hwgr3u458GLafKBgxtssHSPqJnYoGrSzgQsPwLFhLNYskDPyyA</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>128</td>
<td>80</td>
<td>Private key (WIF, compressed pubkey)</td>
<td>K or L</td>
<td>L1aW4aubDFB7yfras2S1mN3bqg9nwySY8nkoLmJebSLD5BWv3ENZ</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>4 136 173 228</td>
<td>0488ADE4</td>
<td>BIP32 private key</td>
<td>xprv</td>
<td>xprv9s21ZrQH143K24Mfq5zL5MhWK9hUhhGbd45hLXo2Pq2oqzMMo63o StZzF93Y5wvzdUayhgkkFoicQZcP3y52uPPxFnfoLZB21Teqt1VvEHx</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>239</td>
<td>EF</td>
<td>Testnet Private key (WIF, uncompressed pubkey)</td>
<td>9</td>
<td>92Pg46rUhgTT7romnV7iGW6W1gbGdeezqdbJCzShkCsYNzyyNcc</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>239</td>
<td>EF</td>
<td>Testnet Private key (WIF, compressed pubkey)</td>
<td>c</td>
<td>cNJFgo1driFnPcBdBX8BrJrpxchBWXwXCvNH5SoSkdcF6JXXwHMm</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>4 53 131 148</td>
<td>04358394</td>
<td>Testnet BIP32 private key</td>
<td>tprv</td>
<td>tprv8ZgxMBicQKsPcsbCVeqqF1KVdH7gwDJbxbzpCxDUsoXHdb6SnTPY xdwSAKDC6KKJzv7khnNWRAJQsRA8BBQyiSfYnRt6zuu4vZQGKjeW4YF</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
</div>
CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-07-27T07:54:53.087Z
The question is about private keys but only six rows in the answer refer to private keys.
Pranab
CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-07-27T09:16:05.050Z
@Pranab: Good point, others removed.
RedGrittyBrick
CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-12-17T12:54:10.330Z
2022-07-27T09:15:32.933Z
2022-07-27T09:15:32.933Z
RedGrittyBrick
<p>Ian's BIP39 site will show you an example of pretty much every coins private key format.  Technically these are WIF encoded private keys, but I assume these are what you mean.</p>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://iancoleman.io/bip39/" rel="nofollow noreferrer">https://iancoleman.io/bip39/</a></li>
</ul>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-12-17T01:50:09.710Z
2021-12-17T01:50:09.710Z
Dan
<p>I copied my private key to a file and I can't remember what the string begins with. Can you help me by giving me the different types of private key: number of characters and and with which characters the private keys start. This is a bitcoin key from 2011/2012.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-12-17T04:52:30.443Z
Does this answer your question? [Why bitcoin private key WIF format always be started in K or L?](https://bitcoin.stackexchange.com/questions/95648/why-bitcoin-private-key-wif-format-always-be-started-in-k-or-l)
m1xolyd1an
<private-key><wallet-recovery><wallet-import-format>
What are the formats of a private key?
Pierre jouglard
# What are the formats of a private key?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2021-12-16)

I copied my private key to a file and I can't remember what the string begins with. Can you help me by giving me the different types of private key: number of characters and and with which characters the private keys start. This is a bitcoin key from 2011/2012.

**Tags:** private-key, wallet-recovery, wallet-import-format

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: Does this answer your question? [Why bitcoin private key WIF format always be started in K or L?](https://bitcoin.stackexchange.com/questions/95648/why-bitcoin-private-key-wif-format-always-be-started-in-k-or-l)  

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## 2 answers

### Answer by username_2 on 2021-12-17. Score: 1

> **[what are] the different types of private key: number of characters and and with which characters the private keys start.**

I have this note from <https://en.bitcoin.it/wiki/List_of_address_prefixes>

| Decimal prefix | Hex | Example use | Leading symbol(s) | Example |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 128 | 80 | Private key (WIF, uncompressed pubkey) | 5 | 5Hwgr3u458GLafKBgxtssHSPqJnYoGrSzgQsPwLFhLNYskDPyyA |
| 128 | 80 | Private key (WIF, compressed pubkey) | K or L | L1aW4aubDFB7yfras2S1mN3bqg9nwySY8nkoLmJebSLD5BWv3ENZ |
| 4 136 173 228 | 0488ADE4 | BIP32 private key | xprv | xprv9s21ZrQH143K24Mfq5zL5MhWK9hUhhGbd45hLXo2Pq2oqzMMo63o StZzF93Y5wvzdUayhgkkFoicQZcP3y52uPPxFnfoLZB21Teqt1VvEHx |
| 239 | EF | Testnet Private key (WIF, uncompressed pubkey) | 9 | 92Pg46rUhgTT7romnV7iGW6W1gbGdeezqdbJCzShkCsYNzyyNcc |
| 239 | EF | Testnet Private key (WIF, compressed pubkey) | c | cNJFgo1driFnPcBdBX8BrJrpxchBWXwXCvNH5SoSkdcF6JXXwHMm |
| 4 53 131 148 | 04358394 | Testnet BIP32 private key | tprv | tprv8ZgxMBicQKsPcsbCVeqqF1KVdH7gwDJbxbzpCxDUsoXHdb6SnTPY xdwSAKDC6KKJzv7khnNWRAJQsRA8BBQyiSfYnRt6zuu4vZQGKjeW4YF |

> **Comments:**
> **username_3**: The question is about private keys but only six rows in the answer refer to private keys.  
> **username_2**: @username_3: Good point, others removed.  

---

### Answer by username_4 on 2021-12-17. Score: 1

Ian's BIP39 site will show you an example of pretty much every coins private key format. Technically these are WIF encoded private keys, but I assume these are what you mean.

* <https://iancoleman.io/bip39/>


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