<p>In fact, it is one of the fundamental properties of digital signing algorithms that you cannot derive the private key from the public key (or the address which is a derivative of the public key). Without this property, digital signing would be pointless, as anyone could fake any signature.</p>

<p>The irreversibility of address derivation from the private key is one of the main security assumptions of the Bitcoin system.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-06-15T22:52:35.757Z
2017-06-15T22:52:35.757Z
Murch
<p>The whole strength of the Bitcoin protocol is that the private key is inaccessible. Period!</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-05-31T12:41:03.193Z
2017-05-31T12:41:03.193Z
Oma5il
<p>The question was about any methods.
Brute-forcing the key is one of them. But that will take many many years. Millions of years.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2018-04-12T03:16:48.593Z
2018-04-12T03:16:48.593Z
nochkin
<p>Are there any particular methods for computing the private key corresponding to an arbitrary bitcoin address? For example, I want to find the private key for this address to access the funds:     1KsFhYKLs8qb1GHqrPxHoywNQpet2CtP9t</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-05-31T08:25:26.430Z
There is a reason it is called a ***private key***: because no one else can possibly figure out what it is; and if they could, they could take all your money.
abelenky
CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-05-31T08:27:52.443Z
[That address](https://blockchain.info/address/1KsFhYKLs8qb1GHqrPxHoywNQpet2CtP9t) has been very busy, recently transferring $35,000 in and out.  Clearly, *someone* knows the private key.
abelenky
<bitcoind>
Bitcoin Private Key
user50647
# Bitcoin Private Key

(Asked by: username_0 on 2017-05-31)

Are there any particular methods for computing the private key corresponding to an arbitrary bitcoin address? For example, I want to find the private key for this address to access the funds: 1KsFhYKLs8qb1GHqrPxHoywNQpet2CtP9t

**Tags:** bitcoind

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: There is a reason it is called a ***private key***: because no one else can possibly figure out what it is; and if they could, they could take all your money.  
> **username_1**: [That address](https://blockchain.info/address/1KsFhYKLs8qb1GHqrPxHoywNQpet2CtP9t) has been very busy, recently transferring $35,000 in and out.  Clearly, *someone* knows the private key.  

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## 3 answers

### Answer by username_2 on 2017-06-15. Score: 1

In fact, it is one of the fundamental properties of digital signing algorithms that you cannot derive the private key from the public key (or the address which is a derivative of the public key). Without this property, digital signing would be pointless, as anyone could fake any signature.

The irreversibility of address derivation from the private key is one of the main security assumptions of the Bitcoin system.


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### Answer by username_3 on 2017-05-31. Score: 1

The whole strength of the Bitcoin protocol is that the private key is inaccessible. Period!


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### Answer by username_4 on 2018-04-12. Score: 0

The question was about any methods.
Brute-forcing the key is one of them. But that will take many many years. Millions of years.


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