A cryptographic key derived from a private key that can be shared publicly. Addresses are derived from public keys. Anyone with your public key can verify your signatures and send you funds, but cannot spend from your address. The “private/public” terminology comes from asymmetric cryptography — different keys for different operations.
Public key
A cryptographic key derived from a private key that can be shared publicly. Addresses are derived from public keys. Anyone with your public key can verify your signatures and send you funds, but cannot spend from your address. The "private/public" terminology comes from asymmetric cryptography — different keys for different operations.
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