Cryptography
Cryptography is the math that keeps blockchains safe: one-way fingerprints (hashes), a keypair where a public key derives an address and a private key sign
Cryptography is the math that keeps blockchains safe: one-way fingerprints (hashes), a keypair where a public key derives an address and a private key signs, and digital signatures that prove *you* authorized a transaction without revealing the key.
Why it matters
Crypto-replacements-of-trust only work because of these primitives. Anyone can verify a signature, but no one can forge one without the private key — that’s what lets strangers transfer value over an open network with no middleman. Understanding cryptography *slightly* is what separates confident users from scared ones.
Related terms
hash · public key ·
private key