bitcoin_address_generator.py

#!/usr/bin/env python3

# Simple python code to show how easy it is to generate
# a Bitcoin address using Python.

# Does not store or export the private key!

# Implemented according to https://en.bitcoin.it/wiki/Technical_background_of_version_1_Bitcoin_addresses

import ecdsa
import hashlib
import base58
from ecdsa import SigningKey, SECP256k1

sk = SigningKey.generate(curve=SECP256k1)
vk = sk.get_verifying_key()

# Prepend 04 to public key, rest is 32 bytes X, 32 bytes Y
btc_vk = bytearray("\x04", "ascii") + vk.to_string()

# Generate SHA256 of public key
d = hashlib.sha256(btc_vk)

# Generate RIPEMD-160 hash of the SHA256 hash of the public key
h = hashlib.new('ripemd160')
h.update(d.digest())

# Add 00 for 'main network'
rh = bytearray("\x00", "ascii") + h.digest()

# Hash it twice
eh = hashlib.sha256(rh)
eh2 = hashlib.sha256(eh.digest())

# Last 4 bytes of the double hashed RIPEMD-160 hash (incl. prefix) are the checksum
checksum = eh2.digest()[:4]

# Add checksum to RIPEMD160 extended hash
rh += checksum

address = base58.b58encode(bytes(rh))
print ("Your bitcoin address: " + address)