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Topic: Questions about electrum Seed (Read 777 times)

copper member
Activity: 1498
Merit: 1528
No I dont escrow anymore.
April 14, 2016, 03:13:51 PM
#10
Can any one guide me how to encrypt my electrum seed and store it safely on my hard drive?
I already wrote it down but as safely also want to store it securly on my online PC so please someone guide me if there's a way to encrypt it?

-> https://veracrypt.codeplex.com/

create a container, use a strong password, safe a txt file with the seed inside the container.
Ok i understand electrum seed is 128 bit that is  2^128 seeds can be there.Now this is such a big number and brute force is impossible to find working seed
Now i am curious to know how electrum generates seed randomly? Electrum doesn't record mouse movements to generate seed like bitaddress do to generate private key,so it's very much possible if by mistake it generates the same seed twice for 2 different users?Right?

Sure if your OS is broken electrum cant protect you.

-> https://bitcoinspakistan.com/blog/electrum-seed-explained/

You can use dice or something else if you want.

-> https://bitcoinspakistan.com/blog/make-your-own-electrum-seed/
Ctn
sr. member
Activity: 644
Merit: 259
April 14, 2016, 05:51:20 AM
#9
So Electrum seed is 128 bit
12 or 13 words
What are the chances that the same seed is not generated by someone else by mistake?
Electrum seed just consist of English words . Don't you think it would be more secure to just use random letters?because either way we have to write it down.So what's the point of using English words?
Don't you think private keys genetation is more secure then seed itself? Even though seed contains other private keys.
So tell me the chances that someone else does not generate the same seed and end up stealing bitcoins?

there is even a possibilities but is really too small!
member
Activity: 108
Merit: 10
April 14, 2016, 05:49:30 AM
#8
Can any one guide me how to encrypt my electrum seed and store it safely on my hard drive?
I already wrote it down but as safely also want to store it securly on my online PC so please someone guide me if there's a way to encrypt it?

-> https://veracrypt.codeplex.com/

create a container, use a strong password, safe a txt file with the seed inside the container.
Ok i understand electrum seed is 128 bit that is  2^128 seeds can be there.Now this is such a big number and brute force is impossible to find working seed
Now i am curious to know how electrum generates seed randomly? Electrum doesn't record mouse movements to generate seed like bitaddress do to generate private key,so it's very much possible if by mistake it generates the same seed twice for 2 different users?Right?
copper member
Activity: 1498
Merit: 1528
No I dont escrow anymore.
April 13, 2016, 02:34:07 PM
#7
Can any one guide me how to encrypt my electrum seed and store it safely on my hard drive?
I already wrote it down but as safely also want to store it securly on my online PC so please someone guide me if there's a way to encrypt it?

-> https://veracrypt.codeplex.com/

create a container, use a strong password, safe a txt file with the seed inside the container.
member
Activity: 108
Merit: 10
April 13, 2016, 10:43:41 AM
#6
Can any one guide me how to encrypt my electrum seed and store it safely on my hard drive?
I already wrote it down but as safely also want to store it securly on my online PC so please someone guide me if there's a way to encrypt it?
hero member
Activity: 675
Merit: 504
April 13, 2016, 06:04:36 AM
#5
So Electrum seed is 128 bit
12 or 13 words
What are the chances that the same seed is not generated by someone else by mistake?

Its a 128 bit seed, so the chance is 1 in 2128 or 1 in 3.402823669*1038.

Electrum seed just consist of English words . Don't you think it would be more secure to just use random letters?because either way we have to write it down.So what's the point of using English words?

The english words are just a different representation of the same thing. The words are the seed, but so is a 128 bit binary number. Its easier for humans to remember words than binary number. Mainly because we are used to use words while we only seldomly use binary numbers.

Don't you think private keys genetation is more secure then seed itself? Even though seed contains other private keys.
So tell me the chances that someone else does not generate the same seed and end up stealing bitcoins?

A private key is a 256 bit number, so one might think its significantly more secure than a seed. However when creating an address the process involves a 160 bit RIPEMD-160 hash. Thus it is assumed that there are 296 (because 2256/2160 = 296) private keys that can spend coins on a given address. Another aspect of private key security is that the underlying algorithm (ECDSA) only offers 128-bit security for a 256-bit. There are no shortcuts AFAIK to the seed.

Using a seed is in the same ballpark of security than just randomly generating keys. A seed however has the advantage that private keys derived from it are deterministic and thus only a one time backup is needed.

So in short if i generate electrum wallet and store my savings in bitcoin in that wallet and store it offline then the same seed will not be generated by anyone else atleast not in my lifetime.Right?

right... chances are a lot greater that your bank will fail, or your country will stop to exist than somebody generating the same private key.

However, this is only true if you generate your private keys on offline machines. A lot of coins get stolen because of compromised online machines and online wallets.
member
Activity: 108
Merit: 10
April 13, 2016, 06:03:18 AM
#4
So Electrum seed is 128 bit
12 or 13 words
What are the chances that the same seed is not generated by someone else by mistake?

Its a 128 bit seed, so the chance is 1 in 2128 or 1 in 3.402823669*1038.

Electrum seed just consist of English words . Don't you think it would be more secure to just use random letters?because either way we have to write it down.So what's the point of using English words?

The english words are just a different representation of the same thing. The words are the seed, but so is a 128 bit binary number. Its easier for humans to remember words than binary number. Mainly because we are used to use words while we only seldomly use binary numbers.

Don't you think private keys genetation is more secure then seed itself? Even though seed contains other private keys.
So tell me the chances that someone else does not generate the same seed and end up stealing bitcoins?

A private key is a 256 bit number, so one might think its significantly more secure than a seed. However when creating an address the process involves a 160 bit RIPEMD-160 hash. Thus it is assumed that there are 296 (because 2256/2160 = 296) private keys that can spend coins on a given address. Another aspect of private key security is that the underlying algorithm (ECDSA) only offers 128-bit security for a 256-bit. There are no shortcuts AFAIK to the seed.

Using a seed is in the same ballpark of security than just randomly generating keys. A seed however has the advantage that private keys derived from it are deterministic and thus only a one time backup is needed.

So in short if i generate electrum wallet and store my savings in bitcoin in that wallet and store it offline then the same seed will not be generated by anyone else atleast not in my lifetime.Right?
copper member
Activity: 1498
Merit: 1528
No I dont escrow anymore.
April 13, 2016, 05:05:53 AM
#3
So Electrum seed is 128 bit
12 or 13 words
What are the chances that the same seed is not generated by someone else by mistake?

Its a 128 bit seed, so the chance is 1 in 2128 or 1 in 3.402823669*1038.

Electrum seed just consist of English words . Don't you think it would be more secure to just use random letters?because either way we have to write it down.So what's the point of using English words?

The english words are just a different representation of the same thing. The words are the seed, but so is a 128 bit binary number. Its easier for humans to remember words than binary number. Mainly because we are used to use words while we only seldomly use binary numbers.

Don't you think private keys genetation is more secure then seed itself? Even though seed contains other private keys.
So tell me the chances that someone else does not generate the same seed and end up stealing bitcoins?

A private key is a 256 bit number, so one might think its significantly more secure than a seed. However when creating an address the process involves a 160 bit RIPEMD-160 hash. Thus it is assumed that there are 296 (because 2256/2160 = 296) private keys that can spend coins on a given address. Another aspect of private key security is that the underlying algorithm (ECDSA) only offers 128-bit security for a 256-bit. There are no shortcuts AFAIK to the seed.

Using a seed is in the same ballpark of security than just randomly generating keys. A seed however has the advantage that private keys derived from it are deterministic and thus only a one time backup is needed.
legendary
Activity: 4466
Merit: 3391
April 13, 2016, 01:39:21 AM
#2
So Electrum seed is 128 bit
12 or 13 words
What are the chances that the same seed is not generated by someone else by mistake?
Electrum seed just consist of English words . Don't you think it would be more secure to just use random letters?because either way we have to write it down.So what's the point of using English words?
Don't you think private keys genetation is more secure then seed itself? Even though seed contains other private keys.
So tell me the chances that someone else does not generate the same seed and end up stealing bitcoins?

The probability of two people getting the same seed is incredibly small.

Words have some advantages: you need fewer words than letters, and words have built in redundancy. They are also easier to remember if you are brave/crazy enough to memorize your seed.
member
Activity: 108
Merit: 10
April 12, 2016, 11:29:34 PM
#1
So Electrum seed is 128 bit
12 or 13 words
What are the chances that the same seed is not generated by someone else by mistake?
Electrum seed just consist of English words . Don't you think it would be more secure to just use random letters?because either way we have to write it down.So what's the point of using English words?
Don't you think private keys genetation is more secure then seed itself? Even though seed contains other private keys.
So tell me the chances that someone else does not generate the same seed and end up stealing bitcoins?
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