Mastering Blockchain - Second Edition

Public Key Cryptography

In this chapter, you will be introduced to the concepts and practical aspects of public key cryptography, also called asymmetric cryptography or asymmetric key cryptography. We will continue to use OpenSSL, as we did in the previous chapter, to experiment with some applications of cryptographic algorithms so that you can gain hands-on experience. We will start with the theoretical foundations of public key cryptography and will gradually build on the concepts with relevant practical exercises. In addition, we will also examine hash functions, which are another cryptographic primitive used extensively in blockchains. After this, we will introduce some new and advanced cryptography constructs.