RIPEMD-160 Hash Generator
The 160-bit hash Bitcoin uses for addresses.
About this tool
RIPEMD-160 is a 160-bit hash designed in Europe as an open alternative to the NSA-designed SHA family. Its most famous use is in Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies: an address is derived by hashing a public key with SHA-256, then RIPEMD-160, which shortens the result while preserving security.
This tool computes RIPEMD-160 via the audited @noble/hashes library, entirely in your browser. Unlike its cousin RIPEMD (128-bit) and the broken MD-family hashes, RIPEMD-160 has no known practical collision attacks.
Like everything on encrypt.tools, this runs entirely in your browser — nothing you enter is transmitted or stored.
Frequently asked questions about RIPEMD-160
Why does Bitcoin use RIPEMD-160?+
Bitcoin hashes a public key with SHA-256 and then RIPEMD-160 to produce a 160-bit address. The double hashing shortens the address to 20 bytes and adds a second, independently-designed hash as defense in depth.
Is RIPEMD-160 secure?+
It has no known practical collision attacks and is considered secure for its 160-bit output, though its security margin is smaller than SHA-256. It remains standard in cryptocurrency address schemes but is rarely chosen for new general-purpose designs.
Is RIPEMD-160 the same as RIPEMD?+
No. The original RIPEMD produced 128-bit output and has been broken. RIPEMD-160 is the strengthened 160-bit successor and is the one used in practice.