<p>A Bitcoin address is a hash of the public key. The <a href="https://en.bitcoin.it/wiki/Technical_background_of_version_1_Bitcoin_addresses">Bitcoin wiki explains</a> the exact (complicated) procedure in great detail. In brief, it involves hashing the public key and includes a checksum. The private key and public key are <a href="https://en.bitcoin.it/wiki/ECDSA">mathematically related</a>.</p>

<ul>
<li>If you have the private key, you can easily calculate the public key and address.</li>
<li>If you have the public key, you can easily calculate the address, but not the private key.</li>
<li>If you have the address, you cannot calculate either key.</li>
</ul>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-01-29T00:07:48.097Z
2014-01-29T00:07:48.097Z
Tim S.
<p>Just wondering how do get the address given that we store only a public key? What is the relation between them? Is address a simple hash of private key? If yes, what hashing algorithm is used?</p>

<address>
What is the relation between the bitcoin address and the corresponding private key?
ghalways
# What is the relation between the bitcoin address and the corresponding private key?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2014-01-28)

Just wondering how do get the address given that we store only a public key? What is the relation between them? Is address a simple hash of private key? If yes, what hashing algorithm is used?

**Tags:** address


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## 1 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2014-01-29. Score: 6 | Accepted answer

A Bitcoin address is a hash of the public key. The [Bitcoin wiki explains](https://en.bitcoin.it/wiki/Technical_background_of_version_1_Bitcoin_addresses) the exact (complicated) procedure in great detail. In brief, it involves hashing the public key and includes a checksum. The private key and public key are [mathematically related](https://en.bitcoin.it/wiki/ECDSA).

* If you have the private key, you can easily calculate the public key and address.
* If you have the public key, you can easily calculate the address, but not the private key.
* If you have the address, you cannot calculate either key.


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