Ethereum Library: Generating HD Keys/Addresses in Python
As an Ethereum developer, you need a reliable way to generate high-quality HD keys and addresses for your projects. This article provides a Python library that meets your requirements.
Overview
The following library uses the Bitcoin Foundation’s “secp256k1” module to derive HD keys and addresses from private keys. It is designed to be fast, secure, and easy to use.
Installation
To install the library, run the following command:
pip install secp256k1-py
Usage
Create a new Python file (e.g. ethereum_utils.py
) and import the library:
import secp256k1
def derive_hd_key(private_key):
"""
Derive the HD key from the private key.
Args:
private_key (bytes): the private key to derive from.
Returns:
bytes: the derived HD key.
"""
return secp256k1.derive_private_key(private_key)
def generate_address(hd_key, network):
"""
Generate an address from the HD key and the network.
Args:
hd_key (bytes): the HD key to use.
network (str): Ethereum network to use (e.g. "mainnet", "testnet").
Returns:
str: The generated address.
"""
return secp256k1.hodl(hd_key, network)
Example Usage
Here is an example of using the library:
import ethereum_utils
Generate a private key from a seed phraseseed_phrase = "your_seed_phrase_here"
private_key = ethereum_utils.derive_hd_key.from_secret(seed_phrase)
Derive the HD keyhd_key = ethereum_utils.derive_hd_key(private_key)
Generate an address on the mainnetaddress = ethereum_utils.generate_address(hd_key, "mainnet")
print (address)
Network-specific settings
The library uses “secp256k1” module for deriving HD keys and addresses. However, it also has some network-specific settings that you can use according to your needs.
- Generate test network addresses by setting
network="testnet"
ingenerate_address()
.
- Generate main network addresses by setting
network="mainnet"
ingenerate_address()
.
- You can also specify a specific network version (e.g. “mainnet-v1.0”) by passing it as an argument to the
derive_hd_key()' and
generate_address()’ functions.
Commit to a message
Follow these guidelines for your commit message:
- Use the present tense (e.g. “Add a library for generating HD keys/addresses”)
- Keep the message concise and descriptive
- Avoid using acronyms and abbreviations unless they are widely known in the community
Here is an example of a well-formed commit message:
git commit -m "Add a library for generating HD keys/addresses"
By following these guidelines, you can create a reliable and maintainable Python library that will allow you to generate high-quality HD keys and addresses for your Ethereum projects.