Blake2b Checksum Calculator
What is Blake2b?
Blake2b is a high-speed cryptographic hash function created by Jean-Philippe Aumasson, Samuel Neves, Zooko Wilcox-O'Hearn, and Christian Winnerlein in 2012. It's an improved version of the original BLAKE algorithm, which was a finalist in the 2007-2012 NIST hash function competition.
Key Feature: Blake2b is optimized for 64-bit platforms and can produce hash values of any size between 1 and 64 bytes. It's known for its exceptional speed, security, and simplicity.
How Blake2b Works
Core Algorithm
Blake2b builds on the ChaCha stream cipher and combines it with a directed acyclic graph (DAG) structure:
- Message Padding - Pads the input message to a multiple of the block size
- Initialization - Sets up initial state with constants and parameters
- Compression Function - Processes message blocks using G functions based on ChaCha
- Finalization - Produces the final hash output of requested length
Key Features
- Parameterized Hash Size - Outputs from 1 to 64 bytes (8 to 512 bits)
- Keyed Hashing Mode - Supports MAC (Message Authentication Code) functionality
- Salt and Personalization - Allows customization of the hash function
- High Performance - Optimized for modern 64-bit processors
Cryptocurrency Mining Applications
1. Siacoin (SC)
- Uses Blake2b as its proof-of-work algorithm
- Focuses on decentralized cloud storage network
- Benefits from Blake2b's fast verification for storage contracts
- Mining typically uses the full 512-bit output
2. Verge (XVG)
- Implements Blake2b as one of five mining algorithms
- Multi-algorithm approach improves network security and decentralization
- Blake2b chosen for its efficiency and ASIC resistance (when combined with other algorithms)
3. Other Blockchain Applications
- Handshake (HNS) - Uses Blake2b for its naming system blockchain
- IPFS - Uses a Blake2b variant in content addressing
- Chia - Uses Blake3 (a successor to Blake2) in its proof-of-space algorithm
Advantages of Blake2b
| Feature | Blake2b | SHA-3 | SHA-256 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Speed (64-bit systems) | Very High | Medium | Medium |
| Security | High | Very High | High |
| Flexibility | High (variable length) | Medium | Low |
| SIMD Parallelism | Excellent | Good | Limited |
Performance Benefits
Blake2b is renowned for its exceptional performance, particularly on 64-bit platforms:
- Up to 30% faster than MD5 despite being cryptographically much stronger
- Typically three times faster than SHA-3 (Keccak) implementation
- Can process data at rates of several gigabytes per second on modern CPUs
- Excellent performance on both server-class hardware and low-power devices
Security Considerations
Security Note: Blake2b is considered cryptographically secure. No practical attacks have been demonstrated against it. Its design draws from the strong security foundations of the original BLAKE algorithm, which was a finalist in the NIST SHA-3 competition.
Security features include:
- Resistance to length extension attacks (unlike MD5, SHA-1, and SHA-2)
- Based on the widely-analyzed ChaCha stream cipher
- Constant-time implementation to resist timing attacks when used as a MAC
- Built-in defense against padding attacks
Blake2 Family
Blake2b is part of a family of hash functions:
- Blake2b - Optimized for 64-bit platforms, outputs up to 512 bits
- Blake2s - Optimized for 8- to 32-bit platforms, outputs up to 256 bits
- Blake2bp - Four-way parallel version of Blake2b for increased throughput
- Blake2sp - Eight-way parallel version of Blake2s for increased throughput
- Blake3 - Newer successor (2020) with enhanced parallelism and unlimited output length
Use Cases Beyond Cryptocurrency
Password Hashing
- Used as a foundation for Argon2 (winner of PHC)
- Faster initial key derivation
- Keyed mode provides additional security
- Suitable for authentication tokens
Content Verification
- Checksums for file integrity
- Git-like version control systems
- Content addressing in distributed filesystems
- Fast integrity verification for large datasets