I just start learning about private keys. I understand that it’s a very large number. Is there away that computer will work around the clock and try generates private key that somebody holds? Can Someone write a code that check a huge amount of numbers and steal your money ??
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Hey!
Short answer: YES! but it would take thousands of years.
Long answer: Although theoretically it is possible to try brute-forcing someone’s private key, it is extremely unlikely. My private key contains 256 bits, and the chance to guess that private key correctly is 1:115,792,089,237,316,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000. Google estimates that for the modern day conventional computer it would take over 10,000 years to brute force your way to someones private keys. So although technically it is possible, don’t hold your breath!
Hope this helps!
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I would watch this video on 256bit Maths. I think you will feel more secure after watching it.
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@kadnsb
I would look at this video.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S9JGmA5_unY
It is WAY WAY more than 10,000 years … not sure where you’ve got that figure from.
In the same way that some people create account passwords such as “password123”, someone may be equally as careless in creating a seed phrase.
There are bots that constantly hash common phrases such as song lyrics, popular passages from books, etc… attempting to find a match in the blockchain in order to gain access to the private key.
So a poorly constructed seed phrase can allow attackers to discover a private key.
Thank You for the info. Always good to see a visual