---
title: "Bitcoin Private Keys: Range, WIF and Hex Formats (PDF)"
url: "https://bip39-phrase.com/list-keys/btc-private-keys-list-23-march/"
language: "en"
updated: "2025-03-23T00:00:00+00:00"
---

# Bitcoin Private Keys: Range, WIF and Hex Formats

The valid range of Bitcoin private keys on secp256k1, how WIF and hex encode a 32-byte key, how a key becomes an address and how to store keys safely. Example WIF-format keys follow.

PDF document · Published March 23, 2025 

[ Open the PDF (6 pages, 127 KB) ](/list-keys/btc-private-keys-list-23-march.pdf) 

Keywords: 

Bitcoin private key · secp256k1 · Base58Check · hex private key

Topic: 

[Private Keys and Addresses: Formats Explained](/topics/keys-and-addresses/)

## Guides on the same subject

- [Bitcoin Private Key Format: WIF, Base58 and Hex Explained](/private-key-btc/)  
A Bitcoin private key is a 256-bit number, usually shown in WIF: Base58 with a version byte, compression flag and checksum. Encoding steps and test vectors.
- [EVM Address Format Explained: Structure & Usage](/format-evm-addresses/)  
An EVM address is 0x plus 40 hex characters: the last 20 bytes of the Keccak-256 hash of a secp256k1 public key, with an EIP-55 checksum.
- [Seed Phrase vs Private Key: What's the Difference?](/seed-phrase-vs-private-key/)  
A seed phrase backs up a whole HD wallet; a private key controls one address. See how words become keys, what each restores and which to back up.

One of the documents in the [Private Key PDF Archive](/list-keys/), listed on [archive page 2](/list-keys/2/).