Public key

A public key is a cryptographic value that can be shared openly and is used to receive funds or to verify digital signatures. It is mathematically derived from a matching private key, but working backwards to that secret key is infeasible, so publishing the public key does not expose the private one. In crypto, wallet addresses are typically derived from public keys.

A common misconception is that sharing a public key is risky; it is designed to be public. For how the two halves work together, see public and private keys explained.