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RIPEMD-160 Hash Generator

Calculate RIPEMD-160 hashes online. Used in Bitcoin address generation (SHA-256 → RIPEMD-160 = HASH160). Supports HMAC-RIPEMD160, UTF-8, Hex, and Base64 input encodings.

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Frequently Asked Questions

What is RIPEMD-160?
RIPEMD-160 is a 160-bit cryptographic hash function designed in 1996 by Hans Dobbertin, Antoon Bosselaers, and Bart Preneel at KU Leuven (Belgium). It processes input in 512-bit blocks through two parallel lines of processing, each with five rounds of 16 operations. The two processing lines produce separate 160-bit digests that are combined into the final output.
How is RIPEMD-160 used in Bitcoin?
In Bitcoin, P2PKH (pay-to-public-key-hash) addresses are derived by: (1) taking a public key, (2) hashing it with SHA-256, (3) hashing the result with RIPEMD-160. This "HASH160" produces a compact 20-byte identifier. The final Bitcoin address then adds a version byte, applies double-SHA256 for the checksum, and Base58Check-encodes the result.
Is RIPEMD-160 vulnerable?
No practical collision attacks against RIPEMD-160 are known as of 2025. Unlike its shorter sibling RIPEMD-128 (which has reduced-round weaknesses), RIPEMD-160's 160-bit output and dual-pipeline design have withstood extensive cryptanalysis. It is not recommended for new designs but remains secure for Bitcoin's existing use.
RIPEMD-160 vs SHA-1 — both are 160 bits?
Both produce 160-bit outputs, but SHA-1 is broken (practical collision attacks since 2017). RIPEMD-160 remains collision-resistant. For new applications requiring a 160-bit hash, RIPEMD-160 is safer than SHA-1, though SHA-256 or SHA-3 are both better modern choices.

About RIPEMD-160 Hash Generator

RIPEMD-160 (RACE Integrity Primitives Evaluation Message Digest, 160-bit) was published in 1996 by a team at KU Leuven as a strengthened replacement for RIPEMD-128 and a European alternative to SHA-1. It processes input in 512-bit blocks through two parallel pipelines of five rounds each, producing a 160-bit (20-byte) digest shown as a 40-character hexadecimal string.

RIPEMD-160 in Bitcoin Address Generation

RIPEMD-160 plays a critical role in Bitcoin's security model. Every P2PKH (Legacy) and P2WPKH (SegWit) Bitcoin address derives from HASH160 = RIPEMD160(SHA256(publicKey)). The 20-byte RIPEMD-160 output serves as the "public key hash" that appears in transaction scripts. By using two independent hash functions, Bitcoin address derivation is resistant to vulnerabilities in either algorithm individually.

RIPEMD-160 in PGP and OpenPGP

RIPEMD-160 was previously used in PGP for key fingerprinting and is listed in RFC 4880 (OpenPGP) as an optional algorithm. While SHA-256 is now preferred for new implementations, legacy PGP keys using RIPEMD-160 fingerprints are still widely used.

RIPEMD vs SHA Family

Unlike SHA-1 and SHA-2 (designed by the NSA), RIPEMD was designed by a European academic consortium, making it attractive for implementations seeking algorithm diversity. While no SHA backdoor has ever been demonstrated, using both SHA-256 and RIPEMD-160 together (as Bitcoin does) provides protection against vulnerabilities in either family.

HMAC-RIPEMD-160

HMAC-RIPEMD-160 can be used for message authentication with a shared secret key. Enable the HMAC option in Settings and enter your key. This is rarely seen in modern protocols but may be needed for legacy system compatibility.