Signature
cryptography
A cryptographic proof that a message was authorized by the holder of a private key.
A digital signature proves that the holder of a private key authorized a specific message and that the message was not changed after signing. Verifiers use the matching public key; they do not need the private key.
In Bitcoin-like systems, transaction signatures commit to selected transaction data according to sighash rules. Signature schemes such as ECDSA and Schnorr have different properties, but both depend on secure private-key storage and correct nonce handling.
Related terms
Private Key
→Secret cryptographic material used to produce signatures or other authorization proofs.
cryptography · security · wallet
Public Key
→Cryptographic data used to verify signatures made by the corresponding private key.
cryptography · technical
Schnorr Signatures
→A digital signature scheme with linear properties that can improve verification, multi-signature design, and privacy.
bch · scaling