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I hear that each address has one private key. Is it possible generate three public key address by only one private key?

user3473712
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  • You need at least two private keys to get three addresses: you can get one address from each private key (in two formats) plus a 3rd multisig address if you combine the two. –  May 02 '14 at 19:28

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What do you mean by "public key address" ?

From one private key, you can generate:

  1. A pay-to-pubkey hash address that uses the uncompressed form of the public key.
  2. Pay-to-script hash address, where the script is (1)
  3. Pay-to-script hash address, with a OP_CHECKSIG script
  4. Pay-to-script hash addresses, paying to 1-of-1 OP_CHECKMULTISIG with uncompressed pubkey.

And all of the above could use the compressed form of the pubkey to get another 4 addresses.

So one private key can be represented by eight different addresses.

gavinandresen
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Not directly, no. Each private key corresponds to exactly one public key. This public key can be represented in two ways that give different addresses: uncompressed and compressed. This gives you two addresses for a private key.

You could, however, use the private key as a seed to generate more private keys, much like Electrum's 128-bit seed. For example, if your seed were the 24-bit 6B8ABC in hex, use the following numbers as private keys

  • SHA256(6B8ABC00)
  • SHA256(6B8ABC01)
  • SHA256(6B8ABC02)

(note: do not use a 24-bit seed or private key, as someone could easily steal your bitcoins)

Tim S.
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You could create 2: one address using the public key in compressed form and a second using the public key in uncompressed form.

mike belshe
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