RIPEMD-256 Hash Generator
Compute a RIPEMD-256 digest — a longer output than RIPEMD-128, but not a stronger one.
Input
RIPEMD-256
Enter something above to see the result.
Where RIPEMD-160 is still used
A Bitcoin address is RIPEMD-160(SHA-256(public key)). Using two unrelated hash families was a deliberate hedge: a break in one alone does not produce a colliding address.
RIPEMD-160 has no practical collision attack, but its 160-bit output gives only about 80 bits of collision resistance — the same ballpark as SHA-1, which is why nothing new should adopt it as a general-purpose hash.
The 256- and 320-bit variants exist to provide a longer output, not a stronger one: they run the same two lines without folding them together, so their security stays at the level of RIPEMD-128 and RIPEMD-160 respectively.
Frequently asked questions
Is RIPEMD-320 twice as strong as RIPEMD-160?
No. It only has a longer output. Its designers state explicitly that it offers the same security level as RIPEMD-160.
How do I get a Bitcoin address from a public key?
SHA-256 the public key, RIPEMD-160 that digest, prepend the version byte, then Base58Check-encode the result. All three steps have tools here.