SHA-256 Hash Calculator

What is SHA-256?

SHA-256 (Secure Hash Algorithm 256-bit) is a cryptographic hash function that produces a 256-bit (32-byte) hash value, typically displayed as 64 hexadecimal characters.

Key Properties:

• Deterministic: Same input always produces same output
• One-way: Cannot reverse the hash to get original input
• Avalanche Effect: Small input change = completely different hash
• Collision Resistant: Nearly impossible to find two inputs with same hash
• Fixed Size: Always 256 bits, regardless of input size

Cryptocurrency Use Cases:

• Bitcoin Mining: Proof-of-Work requires finding hashes below target
• Block Hashing: Each block's hash links to previous block
• Transaction IDs: Hash of transaction data
• Merkle Trees: Hierarchical hashing of transactions
• Address Generation: Part of deriving Bitcoin addresses

Example Hashes:

Notice: Tiny input change = completely different hash