8 Feb 2025

Ethereum: How to derive the private key associated with a Coinbase multi-sig vault address

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Deriving the Private Key Associated with a Coinbase Multi-Sig Vault Address

When creating a multi-sig vault on Coinbase, you receive two important pieces of information: a master public key in BIP32 extended format and a private key in Wallet Import Format (WIF) notation. In this article, we will guide you through the process of extracting the private key associated with your Coinbase multi-sig vault address.

Understanding the Master Public Key

The master public key is a 24-byte string that contains the private keys for multiple addresses. The format of this key is in BIP32 extended format, which includes:

A master public key (256-bit integer)

A parent fingerprint (128-bit hexadecimal string)

A child index (2-4 bytes, representing the number of children)

The parent fingerprint and child index are used to identify each address in the key. The 24-byte master public key is divided into two parts: the first 20 bytes represent the private keys for multiple addresses, while the next 4 bytes contain additional information about those addresses.

Deriving the Private Key from the Master Public Key

To extract the private key associated with your Coinbase multi-sig vault address, follow these steps:

Convert the master public key to hexadecimal: Use a hex editor or online tool (such as [WhatIsMyWallet]( to convert the 24-byte master public key to its hexadecimal representation.

Remove the parent fingerprint and child index: The first 20 bytes of the hexadecimal representation will contain the private keys for multiple addresses, while the next 4 bytes are used to identify those addresses. Remove these two parts from the hexadecimal string.

Convert the resulting substring to WIF format: Use a WIF parser or online tool (such as [WIF-Parser]( to convert the remaining 16 bytes of the hexadecimal representation into WIF notation.

Example

Suppose your master public key is:

0x1234567890abcdef0123456789abcdef

Removing the parent fingerprint and child index, you get:

abcdef0123456789abcdef

Converting this substring to WIF format using a parser or online tool, you will receive the private key in WIF notation.

Example Private Key

The resulting private key in WIF format might look like this:

1234567890abcdef

This is just an example of how to derive the private key associated with your Coinbase multi-sig vault address. Keep in mind that the private key should never be stored publicly, as it can be used for malicious purposes.

Conclusion

Deriving the private key associated with a Coinbase multi-sig vault address requires some basic knowledge of public-key cryptography and wallet formats. By following these steps, you can extract the private key from your master public key and use it to unlock your assets on Coinbase. Remember to keep your private keys secure to prevent unauthorized access to your funds.

Additional Resources

For more information on BIP32 extended format and WIF notation, please consult: