Wallets • Estimated 25m

Hardened Keys

dev.hardened-keys

Hardened derivation is the BIP32 child-key mode that prevents a leaked child private key plus parent xpub from revealing the parent private key. It creates a security boundary inside HD wallet trees at the cost of giving up public-only derivation below that branch.

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Curated resources (3)

• Bitcoin Developer Guide: Wallets (article) Canonical walkthrough of hardened derivation and why it changes what can be derived from extended public keys.
• BIP 32: Hierarchical Deterministic Wallets (article) Canonical specification for hardened and non-hardened child derivation.
• Mastering Bitcoin (book) Broad technical reference for HD wallet trees, xpub/xprv boundaries, and practical derivation tradeoffs.

Direct prerequisites (1)

• Extended Keys (XPUB/XPRV)

Direct dependents (0)

• None

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