Learn elliptic curve cryptography (ECC) including ECDH key exchange and ECDSA digital signatures. Compare ECC with RSA and understand the advantages of elliptic curves.
Bitcoin curve: y² = x³ + 7
256-bit ECC ≈ 3072-bit RSA security level
More efficient for mobile and IoT devices
Smaller signatures and certificates
No known subexponential attacks
| Security Level | RSA Key Size | ECC Key Size | Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| 80-bit | 1024 | 160 | 6:1 |
| 112-bit | 2048 | 224 | 9:1 |
| 128-bit | 3072 | 256 | 12:1 |
| 192-bit | 7680 | 384 | 20:1 |
| 256-bit | 15360 | 512 | 30:1 |