<p>Depends on your wallet.</p>

<p>A Bitcoin private key is a 256bit (32bytes) random number (there is a max limit, but lets don't go into the details).
Often, wallets export them as a WIF encoded base58check string which looks like <code>L1esWYsDL8nBeTRmGjUiDru54nXS4wF811n3e7mbvoSjM2zZWJ6w</code>.</p>

<p>Sometimes, wallet use HD (look up BIP32 if you are interested).
Then the root private key starts with "xprv" and look like <code>xprv9s21ZrQH143K4bhMhuUKZnW9DW5Dx9mwGQseMNdoECsaCGdhL9N8jR6KG5c3UTYrKPTkRNEBfeX7LjE2VjScyLZYA3XqRpyYbhnZHnsUepS</code></p>

<p>Search after "export private key" or "dump wallet", etc.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-06-20T08:42:13.090Z
This is useful. Thank you! How does Bitcoin private key differ from Ethereum?  How do I save a private key to  USB? How do I know the difference between a private key and public key?
benhenderson
CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-06-20T11:31:13.897Z
Bitcoin and Ethereum private keys are the same (Ethereum uses the same libsecp256k1 curve).
Jonas Schnelli
CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-06-20T11:32:30.850Z
Save a private key to USB? You mean hardwarewallet? The whole idea of a hardware wallet is that you create the key on the device and the key will never leave the device.
Jonas Schnelli
CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-06-02T18:46:04.707Z
2017-06-04T06:13:32.690Z
2017-06-04T06:13:32.690Z
Jonas Schnelli
<p>What are 'Private Keys'? and where do i find them in my wallet? How do I know it is a private key?</p>

<wallet><private-key>
Private Keys in my Bitcoin Wallet?
benhenderson
# Private Keys in my Bitcoin Wallet?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2017-06-01)

What are 'Private Keys'? and where do i find them in my wallet? How do I know it is a private key?

**Tags:** wallet, private-key


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## 1 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2017-06-02. Score: 1

Depends on your wallet.

A Bitcoin private key is a 256bit (32bytes) random number (there is a max limit, but lets don't go into the details).
Often, wallets export them as a WIF encoded base58check string which looks like `L1esWYsDL8nBeTRmGjUiDru54nXS4wF811n3e7mbvoSjM2zZWJ6w`.

Sometimes, wallet use HD (look up BIP32 if you are interested).
Then the root private key starts with "xprv" and look like `xprv9s21ZrQH143K4bhMhuUKZnW9DW5Dx9mwGQseMNdoECsaCGdhL9N8jR6KG5c3UTYrKPTkRNEBfeX7LjE2VjScyLZYA3XqRpyYbhnZHnsUepS`

Search after "export private key" or "dump wallet", etc.

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: This is useful. Thank you! How does Bitcoin private key differ from Ethereum?  How do I save a private key to  USB? How do I know the difference between a private key and public key?  
> **username_1**: Bitcoin and Ethereum private keys are the same (Ethereum uses the same libsecp256k1 curve).  
> **username_1**: Save a private key to USB? You mean hardwarewallet? The whole idea of a hardware wallet is that you create the key on the device and the key will never leave the device.  

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