Open bwbush opened 4 days ago
From OpenAI . . .
Several elliptic curves have become widely adopted as cryptographic standards due to their security, efficiency, and well-vetted properties. These curves are used in a variety of cryptographic protocols, including encryption, digital signatures, key exchange, and more.
Curve Name | Field Size | Group Order (Security Level) | Key Uses |
---|---|---|---|
Secp256k1 | 256-bit | ( \approx 2^{256} ) (128-bit security) | Cryptocurrencies, Blockchain (e.g., Bitcoin) |
P-256 | 256-bit | ( \approx 2^{256} ) (128-bit security) | TLS, HTTPS, general cryptography |
P-384 | 384-bit | ( \approx 2^{384} ) (192-bit security) | TLS, government, financial systems |
P-521 | 521-bit | ( \approx 2^{521} ) (256-bit security) | High-security applications, military |
Curve25519 | 255-bit | ( \approx 2^{255} ) (128-bit security) | ECDH, TLS 1.3, Signal, WireGuard |
Ed25519 | 255-bit | ( \approx 2^{255} ) (128-bit security) | Digital signatures (SSH, TLS, blockchain) |
BLS12-381 | 381-bit | ( \approx 2^{381} ) (128-bit security) | Pairing-based crypto, zk-SNARKs, Ethereum 2.0 |
BrainpoolP256r1 | 256-bit | ( \approx 2^{256} ) (128-bit security) | Alternative to NIST curves, European applications |
The most prominently used elliptic curves include those standardized by NIST (P-256, P-384, P-521), Curve25519 and its signature variant Ed25519, and secp256k1 (especially in cryptocurrencies). For pairing-based cryptography, BLS12-381 is widely used in advanced cryptographic protocols. Each curve is designed for different cryptographic needs and security levels, depending on the use case and efficiency requirements.
See https://github.com/paulmillr/noble-curves/blob/main/src/secp256k1.ts, for example.