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Using the D60 to Generate Random 58-bit Numbers



Sixty-sided dice and the Bitcoin logo
A popular method for manually generating Bitcoin private keys is rolling dice. Our 60-sided die allows a random base-58 number to be generated with a single toss. The base-10 values on the die need to be converted to Bitcoin's version of base 58. The table below provides this conversion.

These dice take a while to settle on a number, as a result of the fact that they are nearly spherical. The process can be sped up by using more than one die. Currently, our sixty-sided dice are available in five colors. Rolling all five would generate five base-58 digits at once. The colors can be read in the same order every toss to remove any unconscious bias in ordering the numbers. Another way to speed up the process is to enclose a die in your cupped hands, shake it around vigorously, and then set it down with the top of it covered by your hand. Then remove your hand and read the up-facing value.

All of our offerings are available online at The Dice Shop at Mathartfun.com.


Table for converting numbers on the d60 die to base 58

Table with conversion values for d60 to base 58

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