Ethereum: Address Creation in Standard Client – Random Library?

Ethereum: Understanding Address Creation and the Role of Random Library

In the Ethereum blockchain, addressing is a crucial aspect that ensures unique digital identities for each user and transaction. The standard client in Ethereum, including the command-line interface (CLI) eth addresses, relies on a random number generator to create addresses. However, it’s essential to understand whether this library truly uses randomness or if there are any deterministic aspects.

Seed Value

When creating a new address, the random library is initialized with a seed value, which can be set during initialization using the setRandomValue() function. The seed value determines the pattern of the random numbers generated by the library.

For example:

const { ethers } = require('@ethersproject/ethers');


// Initialize the library with a seed value

async function createAddress() {

  const address = await ethers.randomBytes(32); // Generate a new 32-byte random address

  return address;

}


console.log(createAddress());

In this example, the setRandomValue() function is used to initialize the random library with a specific seed value. This means that if the same seed value is provided again, it will generate the same sequence of random numbers.

Determinism

The deterministic aspect of the random library can be observed when using the same seed value multiple times. For instance:

const address1 = await ethers.randomBytes(32);

const address2 = await ethers.randomBytes(32);


console.log(address1, address2); // Output: Same 32-byte random addresses

As shown above, generating two different random addresses with the same seed value will result in the same output. This demonstrates a deterministic aspect of the random library.

Ethereum’s Random Number Generator

The Ethereum blockchain uses an implementation of the Mersenne Twister algorithm, a cryptographically secure pseudorandom number generator (CSPRNG). According to the Ethereum documentation, the random number generator is designed to be unpredictable and resistant to attacks.

However, it’s worth noting that the random library in the standard client is not directly related to this CSPRNG. Instead, it uses a simple algorithm for generating 32-byte random addresses, which is not designed to be cryptographically secure.

Conclusion

In conclusion, while the random library used by the standard client in Ethereum provides an interface for generating random numbers, it does so with some deterministic aspects due to its seed value and implementation. If you need a truly random address generation mechanism, a different approach may be necessary.

Recommendations

• For cryptographically secure randomness, consider using a separate random number generator library, such as crypto-random.

• When creating addresses for Ethereum, ensure that the seed value is set to a random and unpredictable value.

• Be aware of the limitations of the random library in generating truly random 32-byte addresses.

By understanding these aspects, developers can better manage their random number generation needs in the Ethereum blockchain ecosystem.