<p>If an address merely 'looks like' an address and all other aspects of a transaction are ok then miners will include it in a block. </p>

<p>This has been (ab)used to embed ASCII art into the blockchain at the cost of permanently destroying some bitcoin.</p>

<p>For an example with explanation see <a href="https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=33618.msg420597#msg420597">https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=33618.msg420597#msg420597</a></p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2012-09-12T20:52:07.583Z
Here's another example: 1BitcoinEaterAddressDontSendf59kuE

Most certainly nobody has the private key that results in that Bicoin address (it would take more than trillions of years of all of today's existing computing capacity for a VanityGen type of app to find a private key that would hash to that Bitcoin address.
Stephen Gornick
CC BY-SA 3.0
2012-09-12T20:52:40.997Z
And a related forum thread: http://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=26539.0
Stephen Gornick
CC BY-SA 3.0
2012-09-13T04:32:26.240Z
So the issue isn't so much that a private key doesn't exist as that no one knows (or can know) what the corresponding private key is... got it.
Jason Southwell
CC BY-SA 3.0
2012-09-14T19:50:18.657Z
@JasonSouthwell: And it is at least theoretically possible that there might not be one.
David Schwartz
CC BY-SA 3.0
2012-09-12T15:13:47.693Z
2012-09-12T15:13:47.693Z
Anonymous
<p>According to the <a href="https://en.bitcoin.it/wiki/Address">https://en.bitcoin.it/wiki/Address</a> site, it states that "most" addresses have a private key.  Here is the relavent text:</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>Most addresses have a "private key"</p>
  
  <p>For most addresses, there is a corresponding secret number known as a private  key that is required to spend funds previously sent to an address.
  When using a Bitcoin client, private keys are typically stored in the wallet file. The private key has a special purpose - it is mathematically needed to create valid transactions that spend the funds originally sent to the address. If the private key to an address is lost (for example, in a hard drive crash, fire or other natural disaster), any associated Bitcoins are effectively lost forever.</p>
</blockquote>

<p>I have always assumed that Bitcoin worked in such a way that all addresses must have a matching private key due to the public/private key encryption on which it is based.  In what cases would a bitcoin address not have a private key?</p>

<address><private-key>
 In what cases would a bitcoin address not have a private key?
Jason Southwell
#  In what cases would a bitcoin address not have a private key?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2012-09-12)

According to the <https://en.bitcoin.it/wiki/Address> site, it states that "most" addresses have a private key. Here is the relavent text:

> Most addresses have a "private key"
>
> For most addresses, there is a corresponding secret number known as a private key that is required to spend funds previously sent to an address.
> When using a Bitcoin client, private keys are typically stored in the wallet file. The private key has a special purpose - it is mathematically needed to create valid transactions that spend the funds originally sent to the address. If the private key to an address is lost (for example, in a hard drive crash, fire or other natural disaster), any associated Bitcoins are effectively lost forever.

I have always assumed that Bitcoin worked in such a way that all addresses must have a matching private key due to the public/private key encryption on which it is based. In what cases would a bitcoin address not have a private key?

**Tags:** address, private-key


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## 1 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2012-09-12. Score: 8 | Accepted answer

If an address merely 'looks like' an address and all other aspects of a transaction are ok then miners will include it in a block.

This has been (ab)used to embed ASCII art into the blockchain at the cost of permanently destroying some bitcoin.

For an example with explanation see <https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=33618.msg420597#msg420597>

> **Comments:**
> **username_2**: Here's another example: 1BitcoinEaterAddressDontSendf59kuE  Most certainly nobody has the private key that results in that Bicoin address (it would take more than trillions of years of all of today's existing computing capacity for a VanityGen type of app to find a private key that would hash to that Bitcoin address.  
> **username_2**: And a related forum thread: http://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=26539.0  
> **username_0**: So the issue isn't so much that a private key doesn't exist as that no one knows (or can know) what the corresponding private key is... got it.  
> **username_3**: @username_0: And it is at least theoretically possible that there might not be one.  

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