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🔐 BTC HEX to WIF Private Key Converter

This simple Python script converts a Bitcoin private key in hexadecimal (HEX) format into WIF (Wallet Import Format). It supports both compressed and uncompressed formats.

📜 What It Does

  • Takes a private key in HEX format (e.g., 730FC235C1942C1AE)
  • Pads it to 32 bytes if necessary
  • Converts it to the WIF format
  • Prints the WIF private key string

🧪 Example

import hashlib
import base58

def private_key_to_wif(hex_key, compressed=True):
    prefix = b'\x80'
    key_bytes = bytes.fromhex(hex_key)
    if compressed:
        key_bytes += b'\x01'
    extended_key = prefix + key_bytes
    checksum = hashlib.sha256(hashlib.sha256(extended_key).digest()).digest()[:4]
    wif = base58.b58encode(extended_key + checksum)
    return wif.decode()

# Example usage:
hex_priv = "730FC235C1942C1AE"
hex_priv = hex_priv.rjust(64, '0')  # pad with zeros to full 32 bytes
wif = private_key_to_wif(hex_priv)
print(wif)

🧾 Output

L4RjWUyUf1Gc...  (your WIF key will vary)

⚙️ Requirements

No external dependencies! Just Python's standard library: -hashlib -base58 (make sure to install this with pip)

pip install base58

🔧 Options

Set compressed=False to generate an uncompressed WIF key.

Ensure your private key is exactly 64 hex characters (32 bytes). The script automatically pads it if it's shorter.

📂 Use Cases

  • Brute-force or puzzle-solving workflows
  • Key conversions during wallet development
  • Educational purposes

🔒 Disclaimer

This script is for educational and research purposes only. Use responsibly. Do not use on live/private wallets unless you understand what you're doing.