<p>Probability prevents this from happening as the bitcoin address space is 2^160 or</p>

<pre><code>1,461,501,600,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 (apx)
</code></pre>

<p><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/VWwJq.png" rel="nofollow noreferrer">here is a picture to put it into perspective</a>. Ok so now you are thinking well it is quick to generate them so I will just make more. Looking at this thread <a href="https://bitcoin.stackexchange.com/questions/10709/how-to-pre-generate-100m-bitcoin-addresses">How to pre-generate 100M bitcoin addresses?</a> you can generate 770k addresses in 15 minutes so lets do the math. that is </p>

<pre><code>54,168,210,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 (apx)
</code></pre>

<p>years to generate all the bitcoin addresses. get cracking.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-01-06T22:23:41.507Z
2014-01-06T22:30:51.173Z
2017-04-13T12:47:33.283Z
michael.schuett
<p>If Bitcoin addresses can be generated offline, then the Bitcoin network doesn't check for duplicate addresses while generating a new one. Can't I just make a script and generate milions of Bitcoin addresses and then make a profit when someone will have one of those addresses and sends bitcoins there? </p>

<p>How does the Bitcoin network prevent this?</p>

<address>
Can't I create milions of Bitcoin addresses and wait if someone will have same one?
Samuel
# Can't I create milions of Bitcoin addresses and wait if someone will have same one?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2014-01-06)

If Bitcoin addresses can be generated offline, then the Bitcoin network doesn't check for duplicate addresses while generating a new one. Can't I just make a script and generate milions of Bitcoin addresses and then make a profit when someone will have one of those addresses and sends bitcoins there?

How does the Bitcoin network prevent this?

**Tags:** address


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## 1 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2014-01-06. Score: 1

Probability prevents this from happening as the bitcoin address space is 2^160 or
1,461,501,600,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 (apx)

here is a picture to put it into perspective. Ok so now you are thinking well it is quick to generate them so I will just make more. Looking at this thread How to pre-generate 100M bitcoin addresses? you can generate 770k addresses in 15 minutes so lets do the math. that is 
54,168,210,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 (apx)

years to generate all the bitcoin addresses. get cracking.


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