<p>No, this is not possible.</p>

<p>Recent GPG versions do have support for Elliptic Curve crypto, with associated EC keys. The EC curves supported there are different from the one used in Bitcoin, though (they don't have the same size, so they certainly can't be isomorphic).</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2013-12-07T11:00:00.313Z
I don't know much about ECC, but wouldn't monomorphism be sufficient? You don't need to be able to rederive GPG keys, one direction should be enough.
jnnk
CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-01-20T20:01:20.253Z
I'm not sure when it got added, but GPG 2.1.15 has support for secp256k1 keys.  To use it type `gpg --expert --full-gen-key` and selection options 9 and then 9.
Bob McElrath
CC BY-SA 3.0
2018-01-31T03:58:52.503Z
Currently you can use the same keys. Check this: https://github.com/openpgpjs/openpgpjs/pull/628
sw.
CC BY-SA 3.0
2013-12-06T23:31:25.657Z
2013-12-06T23:31:25.657Z
Pieter Wuille
<p>Yes, technically you could. </p>

<p>Any 256 bit number can be used as a bit coin private key. 
If you hashed the PGP key with SHA256 you would have a private key that could be used for bitcoin. Really you'd be using your private PGP key as a brain wallet seed with very high entropy. </p>

<p>Edit: With all that being said I still wouldn't do it.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2013-12-07T11:05:16.083Z
True, but that's not my point: You are saying "private PGP -> private bitcoin -> public bitcoin" is  possible, but I want to go "public PGP -> public bitcoin" without knowing "private PGP" and "private PGP -> private bitcoin" (resulting of course in a matching bitcoin key pair).
jnnk
CC BY-SA 3.0
2013-12-07T15:05:14.657Z
Yep, you're right I missed the public key stipulation in the question. -1 for my reading comprehension today.
jwsample
CC BY-SA 4.0
2024-12-17T13:32:32.350Z
Why wouldn't you do it?
Myzel394
CC BY-SA 3.0
2013-12-07T04:24:40.407Z
2013-12-07T04:38:31.913Z
2013-12-07T04:38:31.913Z
jwsample
<p>Both bitcoin and encrypted emailing are based on public key cryptography. However, they use different implementations, so I assume that a public PGP key cannot be used as a bitcoin address directly.</p>

<p>But would it be possible to convert a public PGP key to a bitcoin address in such a way that it can be accessed only with the corresponding private PGP key (or something derived from it)?</p>

<p>If such an algorithm existed it would allow for sending coins to people without them knowing anything about Bitcoin, as long as they have a PGP key (e.g. for giving someone a little incentive to learn something about Bitcoin).</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-08-28T20:24:59.947Z
Here is one attempt to [use a secp256k1 GPG key as a Bitcoin address](https://bitcoindev.network/using-gpg-as-a-bitcoin-address/), however it is not exactly what you are asking for as it is all based on creating a bitcoin address from the _private key_. In the end, it didn't really work out as the author needed to export the private key from gpg to sign the Bitcoin tx.
Jonathan Cross
<cryptography><address-generation>
Is it possible to use a PGP key as a bitcoin address?
jnnk
# Is it possible to use a PGP key as a bitcoin address?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2013-12-06)

Both bitcoin and encrypted emailing are based on public key cryptography. However, they use different implementations, so I assume that a public PGP key cannot be used as a bitcoin address directly.

But would it be possible to convert a public PGP key to a bitcoin address in such a way that it can be accessed only with the corresponding private PGP key (or something derived from it)?

If such an algorithm existed it would allow for sending coins to people without them knowing anything about Bitcoin, as long as they have a PGP key (e.g. for giving someone a little incentive to learn something about Bitcoin).

**Tags:** cryptography, address-generation

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: Here is one attempt to [use a secp256k1 GPG key as a Bitcoin address](https://bitcoindev.network/using-gpg-as-a-bitcoin-address/), however it is not exactly what you are asking for as it is all based on creating a bitcoin address from the _private key_. In the end, it didn't really work out as the author needed to export the private key from gpg to sign the Bitcoin tx.  

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## 2 answers

### Answer by username_2 on 2013-12-06. Score: 6

No, this is not possible.

Recent GPG versions do have support for Elliptic Curve crypto, with associated EC keys. The EC curves supported there are different from the one used in Bitcoin, though (they don't have the same size, so they certainly can't be isomorphic).

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: I don't know much about ECC, but wouldn't monomorphism be sufficient? You don't need to be able to rederive GPG keys, one direction should be enough.  
> **username_3**: I'm not sure when it got added, but GPG 2.1.15 has support for secp256k1 keys.  To use it type `gpg --expert --full-gen-key` and selection options 9 and then 9.  
> **username_4**: Currently you can use the same keys. Check this: https://github.com/openpgpjs/openpgpjs/pull/628  

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### Answer by username_5 on 2013-12-07. Score: 0

Yes, technically you could.

Any 256 bit number can be used as a bit coin private key.
If you hashed the PGP key with SHA256 you would have a private key that could be used for bitcoin. Really you'd be using your private PGP key as a brain wallet seed with very high entropy.

Edit: With all that being said I still wouldn't do it.

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: True, but that's not my point: You are saying "private PGP -> private bitcoin -> public bitcoin" is  possible, but I want to go "public PGP -> public bitcoin" without knowing "private PGP" and "private PGP -> private bitcoin" (resulting of course in a matching bitcoin key pair).  
> **username_5**: Yep, you're right I missed the public key stipulation in the question. -1 for my reading comprehension today.  
> **username_6**: Why wouldn't you do it?  

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