<p>It can be found in <a href="https://www.secg.org/sec2-v2.pdf" rel="noreferrer">https://www.secg.org/sec2-v2.pdf</a>:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>SEC 2: Recommended Elliptic Curve Domain Parameters</p>
<p>Certicom Research</p>
<p>Contact: Daniel R. L. Brown (dbrown@certicom.com)</p>
<p>January 27, 2010</p>
<p>Version 2.0</p>
<p>c©2010 Certicom Corp.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>In section 2.4.1, &quot;Recommended Parameters secp256k1&quot;.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-05-05T13:12:54.317Z
Is it then correct to state that NIST doesn't have anything to do with the secp256k1 standard?
drogos86
CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-05-05T13:14:28.927Z
Yes, NIST has nothing to do with the secp256k1 standard. Some NIST-invented curves are standardized both through NIST and through SECG (e.g. NIST P-256 is the same curve as SECG secp256**r**1), but secp256k1 is not one of them. It was constructed by Certicom, and only standardized through SECG (SECG is basically Certicom...).
Pieter Wuille
CC BY-SA 4.0
2024-03-17T01:06:35.003Z
**UPDATE:** secp256k1 was indeed _created_ by SECG/Certicom back around 2000 (SEC2 v2 is 2010, but v1 was 2000), but as of Feb. 2023 it is _also_ 'allowed' by NIST for blockchain, see [SP800-186](https://csrc.nist.gov/pubs/sp/800/186/final) Appendix H.2 .
dave_thompson_085
CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-05-05T13:05:30.063Z
2022-05-05T13:05:30.063Z
Pieter Wuille
<p>There are different accounts as to who created the secp256k1 standard, for example:</p>
<p><strong>Mastering Bitcoin, p.61</strong>:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>Bitcoin uses a specific elliptic curve and set of mathematical constants, as defined in a standard called secp256k1, established by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST)</p>
</blockquote>
<p><strong>theymos in <a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/crypto/comments/2fe4lr/secp256k1_vs_nist_curves_which_one_to_use/" rel="nofollow noreferrer">this thread on r/crypto</a></strong>:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>secp256k1 isn't a NIST curve. It was created purely by SECG. SECG also publishes some NIST curves in their standards (such as secp256r1, aka P-256), but secp256k1 isn't one of them.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>So who created it?
Is there a 'canonical' publication of it somewhere?</p>

<secp256k1><mastering-bitcoin>
Who is the creator of the secp256k1 standard?
drogos86
# Who is the creator of the secp256k1 standard?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2022-05-05)

There are different accounts as to who created the secp256k1 standard, for example:

**Mastering Bitcoin, p.61**:

> Bitcoin uses a specific elliptic curve and set of mathematical constants, as defined in a standard called secp256k1, established by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST)

**theymos in [this thread on r/crypto](https://www.reddit.com/r/crypto/comments/2fe4lr/secp256k1_vs_nist_curves_which_one_to_use/)**:

> secp256k1 isn't a NIST curve. It was created purely by SECG. SECG also publishes some NIST curves in their standards (such as secp256r1, aka P-256), but secp256k1 isn't one of them.

So who created it?
Is there a 'canonical' publication of it somewhere?

**Tags:** secp256k1, mastering-bitcoin


---

## 1 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2022-05-05. Score: 6 | Accepted answer

It can be found in <https://www.secg.org/sec2-v2.pdf>:

> SEC 2: Recommended Elliptic Curve Domain Parameters
>
> Certicom Research
>
> Contact: Daniel R. L. Brown (dbrown@certicom.com)
>
> January 27, 2010
>
> Version 2.0
>
> c©2010 Certicom Corp.

In section 2.4.1, "Recommended Parameters secp256k1".

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: Is it then correct to state that NIST doesn't have anything to do with the secp256k1 standard?  
> **username_1**: Yes, NIST has nothing to do with the secp256k1 standard. Some NIST-invented curves are standardized both through NIST and through SECG (e.g. NIST P-256 is the same curve as SECG secp256**r**1), but secp256k1 is not one of them. It was constructed by Certicom, and only standardized through SECG (SECG is basically Certicom...).  
> **username_2**: **UPDATE:** secp256k1 was indeed _created_ by SECG/Certicom back around 2000 (SEC2 v2 is 2010, but v1 was 2000), but as of Feb. 2023 it is _also_ 'allowed' by NIST for blockchain, see [SP800-186](https://csrc.nist.gov/pubs/sp/800/186/final) Appendix H.2 .  

---

