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I need to derive an EC Public Key from an EC private key string without the "help" of any third party library.

The Private key is externally produced and provided and I need to get the Public Key to generate a Bitcoin address. As my project is working "offline" I do not need a library like Bouncy Castle for any other purpose, so I would like to eliminate it.

The following program is fully working and shows the (very short) example when working with Bouncy Castle to get a solution. The second part is the native Java solution with the kindly help from the routines by the so user SkateScout, for details see his answer https://stackoverflow.com/a/42797410/8166854 .

Please keep in mind that this solution is working only for the Elliptic curve "secp256k1". You can check my keypair on https://gobittest.appspot.com/Address .

My question: is there any other solution available to avoid the mass of code for scalar operations?

import org.bouncycastle.jce.ECNamedCurveTable;
import org.bouncycastle.jce.spec.ECNamedCurveParameterSpec;
import java.math.BigInteger;
import java.security.*;
import java.security.interfaces.ECPrivateKey;
import java.security.interfaces.ECPublicKey;
import java.security.spec.*;
public class DerivePublicKeyFromPrivateKeyCurveSecp256k1 {
    // get bouncycastle here: https://mvnrepository.com/artifact/org.bouncycastle/bcprov-jdk15on/1.65
    // tested with version 15 1.65
    final static BigInteger FieldP_2 = BigInteger.TWO; // constant for scalar operations
    final static BigInteger FieldP_3 = BigInteger.valueOf(3); // constant for scalar operations
    public static void main(String[] args) throws GeneralSecurityException {
        System.out.println("Generate ECPublicKey from PrivateKey (String) for curve secp256k1");
        System.out.println("Check keys with https://gobittest.appspot.com/Address");
        // https://gobittest.appspot.com/Address
        String privateKey = "D12D2FACA9AD92828D89683778CB8DFCCDBD6C9E92F6AB7D6065E8AACC1FF6D6";
        String publicKeyExpected = "04661BA57FED0D115222E30FE7E9509325EE30E7E284D3641E6FB5E67368C2DB185ADA8EFC5DC43AF6BF474A41ED6237573DC4ED693D49102C42FFC88510500799";
        System.out.println("\nprivatekey given : " + privateKey);
        System.out.println("publicKeyExpected: " + publicKeyExpected);
        // routine with bouncy castle
        System.out.println("\nGenerate PublicKey from PrivateKey with BouncyCastle");
        ECNamedCurveParameterSpec spec = ECNamedCurveTable.getParameterSpec("secp256k1"); // this ec curve is used for bitcoin operations
        org.bouncycastle.math.ec.ECPoint pointQ = spec.getG().multiply(new BigInteger(1, hexStringToByteArray(privateKey)));
        byte[] publickKeyByte = pointQ.getEncoded(false);
        String publicKeyBc = byteArrayToHexString(publickKeyByte);
        System.out.println("publicKeyExpected: " + publicKeyExpected);
        System.out.println("publicKey BC     : " + publicKeyBc);
        System.out.println("publicKeys match : " + publicKeyBc.contentEquals(publicKeyExpected));
        // regeneration of ECPublicKey with java native starts here
        System.out.println("\nGenerate PublicKey from PrivateKey with Java native routines");
        // the preset "303E.." only works for elliptic curve secp256k1
        // see answer by user dave_thompson_085
        // https://stackoverflow.com/questions/48832170/generate-ec-public-key-from-byte-array-private-key-in-native-java-7
        String privateKeyFull = "303E020100301006072A8648CE3D020106052B8104000A042730250201010420" +
                privateKey;
        byte[] privateKeyFullByte = hexStringToByteArray(privateKeyFull);
        System.out.println("privateKey full  : " + privateKeyFull);
        KeyFactory kecFactory = KeyFactory.getInstance("EC");
        PrivateKey privateKeyNative = kecFactory.generatePrivate(new PKCS8EncodedKeySpec(privateKeyFullByte));
        ECPrivateKey ecPrivateKeyNative = (ECPrivateKey) privateKeyNative;
        ECPublicKey ecPublicKeyNative = getPublicKey(ecPrivateKeyNative);
        byte[] ecPublicKeyNativeByte = ecPublicKeyNative.getEncoded();
        String publicKeyNativeFull = byteArrayToHexString(ecPublicKeyNativeByte);
        String publicKeyNativeHeader = publicKeyNativeFull.substring(0, 46);
        String publicKeyNativeKey = publicKeyNativeFull.substring(46, 176);
        System.out.println("ecPublicKeyFull  : " + publicKeyNativeFull);
        System.out.println("ecPublicKeyHeader: " + publicKeyNativeHeader);
        System.out.println("ecPublicKeyKey   : " + publicKeyNativeKey);
        System.out.println("publicKeyExpected: " + publicKeyExpected);
        System.out.println("publicKeys match : " + publicKeyNativeKey.contentEquals(publicKeyExpected));
    private static String byteArrayToHexString(byte[] a) {
        StringBuilder sb = new StringBuilder(a.length * 2);
        for (byte b : a)
            sb.append(String.format("%02X", b));
        return sb.toString();
    public static byte[] hexStringToByteArray(String s) {
        int len = s.length();
        byte[] data = new byte[len / 2];
        for (int i = 0; i < len; i += 2) {
            data[i / 2] = (byte) ((Character.digit(s.charAt(i), 16) << 4)
                    + Character.digit(s.charAt(i + 1), 16));
        return data;
    // scalar operations for native java
    // see https://stackoverflow.com/a/42797410/8166854
    // written by author: SkateScout
    private static ECPoint doublePoint(final BigInteger p, final BigInteger a, final ECPoint R) {
        if (R.equals(ECPoint.POINT_INFINITY)) return R;
        BigInteger slope = (R.getAffineX().pow(2)).multiply(FieldP_3);
        slope = slope.add(a);
        slope = slope.multiply((R.getAffineY().multiply(FieldP_2)).modInverse(p));
        final BigInteger Xout = slope.pow(2).subtract(R.getAffineX().multiply(FieldP_2)).mod(p);
        final BigInteger Yout = (R.getAffineY().negate()).add(slope.multiply(R.getAffineX().subtract(Xout))).mod(p);
        return new ECPoint(Xout, Yout);
    private static ECPoint addPoint(final BigInteger p, final BigInteger a, final ECPoint r, final ECPoint g) {
        if (r.equals(ECPoint.POINT_INFINITY)) return g;
        if (g.equals(ECPoint.POINT_INFINITY)) return r;
        if (r == g || r.equals(g)) return doublePoint(p, a, r);
        final BigInteger gX = g.getAffineX();
        final BigInteger sY = g.getAffineY();
        final BigInteger rX = r.getAffineX();
        final BigInteger rY = r.getAffineY();
        final BigInteger slope = (rY.subtract(sY)).multiply(rX.subtract(gX).modInverse(p)).mod(p);
        final BigInteger Xout = (slope.modPow(FieldP_2, p).subtract(rX)).subtract(gX).mod(p);
        BigInteger Yout = sY.negate().mod(p);
        Yout = Yout.add(slope.multiply(gX.subtract(Xout))).mod(p);
        return new ECPoint(Xout, Yout);
    public static ECPoint scalmult(final EllipticCurve curve, final ECPoint g, final BigInteger kin) {
        final ECField field = curve.getField();
        if (!(field instanceof ECFieldFp)) throw new UnsupportedOperationException(field.getClass().getCanonicalName());
        final BigInteger p = ((ECFieldFp) field).getP();
        final BigInteger a = curve.getA();
        ECPoint R = ECPoint.POINT_INFINITY;
        // value only valid for curve secp256k1, code taken from https://www.secg.org/sec2-v2.pdf, 
        // see "Finally the order n of G and the cofactor are: n = "FF.."
        BigInteger SECP256K1_Q = new BigInteger("00FFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFEBAAEDCE6AF48A03BBFD25E8CD0364141",16);
        BigInteger k = kin.mod(SECP256K1_Q); // uses this !
        // wrong as per comment from President James Moveon Polk
        // BigInteger k = kin.mod(p); // do not use this !
        final int length = k.bitLength();
        final byte[] binarray = new byte[length];
        for (int i = 0; i <= length - 1; i++) {
            binarray[i] = k.mod(FieldP_2).byteValue();
            k = k.shiftRight(1);
        for (int i = length - 1; i >= 0; i--) {
            R = doublePoint(p, a, R);
            if (binarray[i] == 1) R = addPoint(p, a, R, g);
        return R;
    public static ECPublicKey getPublicKey(final ECPrivateKey pk) throws GeneralSecurityException {
        final ECParameterSpec params = pk.getParams();
        final ECPoint w = scalmult(params.getCurve(), pk.getParams().getGenerator(), pk.getS());
        final KeyFactory kg = KeyFactory.getInstance("EC");
        return (ECPublicKey) kg.generatePublic(new ECPublicKeySpec(w, params));
The output looks like:
Generate ECPublicKey from PrivateKey (String) for curve secp256k1
Check keys with https://gobittest.appspot.com/Address
privatekey given : D12D2FACA9AD92828D89683778CB8DFCCDBD6C9E92F6AB7D6065E8AACC1FF6D6
publicKeyExpected: 04661BA57FED0D115222E30FE7E9509325EE30E7E284D3641E6FB5E67368C2DB185ADA8EFC5DC43AF6BF474A41ED6237573DC4ED693D49102C42FFC88510500799
Generate PublicKey from PrivateKey with BouncyCastle
publicKeyExpected: 04661BA57FED0D115222E30FE7E9509325EE30E7E284D3641E6FB5E67368C2DB185ADA8EFC5DC43AF6BF474A41ED6237573DC4ED693D49102C42FFC88510500799
publicKey BC     : 04661BA57FED0D115222E30FE7E9509325EE30E7E284D3641E6FB5E67368C2DB185ADA8EFC5DC43AF6BF474A41ED6237573DC4ED693D49102C42FFC88510500799
publicKeys match : true
Generate PublicKey from PrivateKey with Java native routines
privateKey full  : 303E020100301006072A8648CE3D020106052B8104000A042730250201010420D12D2FACA9AD92828D89683778CB8DFCCDBD6C9E92F6AB7D6065E8AACC1FF6D6
ecPublicKeyFull  : 3056301006072A8648CE3D020106052B8104000A03420004661BA57FED0D115222E30FE7E9509325EE30E7E284D3641E6FB5E67368C2DB185ADA8EFC5DC43AF6BF474A41ED6237573DC4ED693D49102C42FFC88510500799
ecPublicKeyHeader: 3056301006072A8648CE3D020106052B8104000A034200
ecPublicKeyKey   : 04661BA57FED0D115222E30FE7E9509325EE30E7E284D3641E6FB5E67368C2DB185ADA8EFC5DC43AF6BF474A41ED6237573DC4ED693D49102C42FFC88510500799
publicKeyExpected: 04661BA57FED0D115222E30FE7E9509325EE30E7E284D3641E6FB5E67368C2DB185ADA8EFC5DC43AF6BF474A41ED6237573DC4ED693D49102C42FFC88510500799
publicKeys match : true
Code above corrected as commented from President James Moveon Polk
                That code is incorrect, as is the code you got it from. This line BigInteger k = kin.mod(p); is wrong, wrong, wrong. The scalar multiple should be taken mod the order of the group, which is not the prime over which the field is defined. The only reason you haven't been bitten by that bug is because you never tested it with a kin that was >= p. That's why you don't do crypto by hand. But anyway, the answer to your question is no. If you were exclusively using Java 8 (or maybe 7) you could find an internal sun.* class and method that does scalar multiplication, but not beyond that.
– President James K. Polk
                Apr 8, 2020 at 3:01
                @President James Moveon Polk: Dear James, thanks for your comment. Before I edit my post above I want to be shure regarding "order of the group". I changed the scalar multiple from (wrong "p") to "SECP256K1_Q" where the BigInteger SECP256K1_Q = new BigInteger("00FFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFBAAEDCE6AF48A03BBFD25E8CD0364141",16); (values for SECP256K1_Q taken from secg.org/sec2-v2.pdf), so the complete line would be BigInteger k = kin.mod(SECP256K1_Q); Is this the right way to perform the scalar multiplication ? Thanks again.
– Michael Fehr
                Apr 8, 2020 at 8:29
                @President James Moveon Polk: thanks, code above corrected. So sad that there is not a more easy solution (I'm working with Java 11).
– Michael Fehr
                Apr 8, 2020 at 16:10
                In native (non-bouncy) Java the ECParameterSpec also provides the generator/subgroup order (so you don't need to hardcode) as well as the generator point
– dave_thompson_085
                Apr 8, 2020 at 20:41
I'm providing the final solution for my problem, just in case anybody encounters the same problem. Thanks to user President James Moveon Polk and dave_thompson_085 for guiding.
The source code is additionally available on my github-repository https://github.com/java-crypto/Stackoverflow/tree/master/DervicePublicKeyFromPrivateKeyCurveSecp256k1.
import org.bouncycastle.jce.ECNamedCurveTable;
import org.bouncycastle.jce.spec.ECNamedCurveParameterSpec;
import java.math.BigInteger;
import java.security.GeneralSecurityException;
import java.security.KeyFactory;
import java.security.PrivateKey;
import java.security.interfaces.ECPrivateKey;
import java.security.interfaces.ECPublicKey;
import java.security.spec.*;
public class DerivePublicKeyFromPrivateKeyCurveSecp256k1Final {
    // sourcecode available https://github.com/java-crypto/Stackoverflow/tree/master/DervicePublicKeyFromPrivateKeyCurveSecp256k1
    // get bouncycastle here: https://mvnrepository.com/artifact/org.bouncycastle/bcprov-jdk15on/1.65
    // tested with version 15 1.65
    // java open jdk 11.0.5
    final static BigInteger FieldP_2 = BigInteger.TWO; // constant for scalar operations
    final static BigInteger FieldP_3 = BigInteger.valueOf(3); // constant for scalar operations
    public static void main(String[] args) throws GeneralSecurityException {
        System.out.println("Generate ECPublicKey from PrivateKey (String) for curve secp256k1 (final)");
        System.out.println("Check keys with https://gobittest.appspot.com/Address");
        // https://gobittest.appspot.com/Address
        String privateKey = "D12D2FACA9AD92828D89683778CB8DFCCDBD6C9E92F6AB7D6065E8AACC1FF6D6";
        String publicKeyExpected = "04661BA57FED0D115222E30FE7E9509325EE30E7E284D3641E6FB5E67368C2DB185ADA8EFC5DC43AF6BF474A41ED6237573DC4ED693D49102C42FFC88510500799";
        System.out.println("\nprivatekey given : " + privateKey);
        System.out.println("publicKeyExpected: " + publicKeyExpected);
        // routine with bouncy castle
        System.out.println("\nGenerate PublicKey from PrivateKey with BouncyCastle");
        ECNamedCurveParameterSpec spec = ECNamedCurveTable.getParameterSpec("secp256k1"); // this ec curve is used for bitcoin operations
        org.bouncycastle.math.ec.ECPoint pointQ = spec.getG().multiply(new BigInteger(1, hexStringToByteArray(privateKey)));
        byte[] publickKeyByte = pointQ.getEncoded(false);
        String publicKeyBc = byteArrayToHexString(publickKeyByte);
        System.out.println("publicKeyExpected: " + publicKeyExpected);
        System.out.println("publicKey BC     : " + publicKeyBc);
        System.out.println("publicKeys match : " + publicKeyBc.contentEquals(publicKeyExpected));
        // regeneration of ECPublicKey with java native starts here
        System.out.println("\nGenerate PublicKey from PrivateKey with Java native routines");
        // the preset "303E.." only works for elliptic curve secp256k1
        // see answer by user dave_thompson_085
        // https://stackoverflow.com/questions/48832170/generate-ec-public-key-from-byte-array-private-key-in-native-java-7
        String privateKeyFull = "303E020100301006072A8648CE3D020106052B8104000A042730250201010420" +
                privateKey;
        byte[] privateKeyFullByte = hexStringToByteArray(privateKeyFull);
        System.out.println("privateKey full  : " + privateKeyFull);
        KeyFactory keyFactory = KeyFactory.getInstance("EC");
        PrivateKey privateKeyNative = keyFactory.generatePrivate(new PKCS8EncodedKeySpec(privateKeyFullByte));
        ECPrivateKey ecPrivateKeyNative = (ECPrivateKey) privateKeyNative;
        ECPublicKey ecPublicKeyNative = getPublicKey(ecPrivateKeyNative);
        byte[] ecPublicKeyNativeByte = ecPublicKeyNative.getEncoded();
        String publicKeyNativeFull = byteArrayToHexString(ecPublicKeyNativeByte);
        String publicKeyNativeHeader = publicKeyNativeFull.substring(0, 46);
        String publicKeyNativeKey = publicKeyNativeFull.substring(46, 176);
        System.out.println("ecPublicKeyFull  : " + publicKeyNativeFull);
        System.out.println("ecPublicKeyHeader: " + publicKeyNativeHeader);
        System.out.println("ecPublicKeyKey   : " + publicKeyNativeKey);
        System.out.println("publicKeyExpected: " + publicKeyExpected);
        System.out.println("publicKeys match : " + publicKeyNativeKey.contentEquals(publicKeyExpected));
    private static String byteArrayToHexString(byte[] a) {
        StringBuilder sb = new StringBuilder(a.length * 2);
        for (byte b : a)
            sb.append(String.format("%02X", b));
        return sb.toString();
    public static byte[] hexStringToByteArray(String s) {
        int len = s.length();
        byte[] data = new byte[len / 2];
        for (int i = 0; i < len; i += 2) {
            data[i / 2] = (byte) ((Character.digit(s.charAt(i), 16) << 4)
                    + Character.digit(s.charAt(i + 1), 16));
        return data;
    // scalar operations for native java
    // see https://stackoverflow.com/a/42797410/8166854
    // written by author: SkateScout
    private static ECPoint doublePoint(final BigInteger p, final BigInteger a, final ECPoint R) {
        if (R.equals(ECPoint.POINT_INFINITY)) return R;
        BigInteger slope = (R.getAffineX().pow(2)).multiply(FieldP_3);
        slope = slope.add(a);
        slope = slope.multiply((R.getAffineY().multiply(FieldP_2)).modInverse(p));
        final BigInteger Xout = slope.pow(2).subtract(R.getAffineX().multiply(FieldP_2)).mod(p);
        final BigInteger Yout = (R.getAffineY().negate()).add(slope.multiply(R.getAffineX().subtract(Xout))).mod(p);
        return new ECPoint(Xout, Yout);
    private static ECPoint addPoint(final BigInteger p, final BigInteger a, final ECPoint r, final ECPoint g) {
        if (r.equals(ECPoint.POINT_INFINITY)) return g;
        if (g.equals(ECPoint.POINT_INFINITY)) return r;
        if (r == g || r.equals(g)) return doublePoint(p, a, r);
        final BigInteger gX = g.getAffineX();
        final BigInteger sY = g.getAffineY();
        final BigInteger rX = r.getAffineX();
        final BigInteger rY = r.getAffineY();
        final BigInteger slope = (rY.subtract(sY)).multiply(rX.subtract(gX).modInverse(p)).mod(p);
        final BigInteger Xout = (slope.modPow(FieldP_2, p).subtract(rX)).subtract(gX).mod(p);
        BigInteger Yout = sY.negate().mod(p);
        Yout = Yout.add(slope.multiply(gX.subtract(Xout))).mod(p);
        return new ECPoint(Xout, Yout);
    public static ECPoint scalmultNew(final ECParameterSpec params, final ECPoint g, final BigInteger kin) {
        EllipticCurve curve = params.getCurve();
        final ECField field = curve.getField();
        if (!(field instanceof ECFieldFp)) throw new UnsupportedOperationException(field.getClass().getCanonicalName());
        final BigInteger p = ((ECFieldFp) field).getP();
        final BigInteger a = curve.getA();
        ECPoint R = ECPoint.POINT_INFINITY;
        // value only valid for curve secp256k1, code taken from https://www.secg.org/sec2-v2.pdf,
        // see "Finally the order n of G and the cofactor are: n = "FF.."
        BigInteger SECP256K1_Q = params.getOrder();
        //BigInteger SECP256K1_Q = new BigInteger("00FFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFEBAAEDCE6AF48A03BBFD25E8CD0364141",16);
        BigInteger k = kin.mod(SECP256K1_Q); // uses this !
        // BigInteger k = kin.mod(p); // do not use this ! wrong as per comment from President James Moveon Polk
        final int length = k.bitLength();
        final byte[] binarray = new byte[length];
        for (int i = 0; i <= length - 1; i++) {
            binarray[i] = k.mod(FieldP_2).byteValue();
            k = k.shiftRight(1);
        for (int i = length - 1; i >= 0; i--) {
            R = doublePoint(p, a, R);
            if (binarray[i] == 1) R = addPoint(p, a, R, g);
        return R;
    public static ECPoint scalmultOrg(final EllipticCurve curve, final ECPoint g, final BigInteger kin) {
        final ECField field = curve.getField();
        if (!(field instanceof ECFieldFp)) throw new UnsupportedOperationException(field.getClass().getCanonicalName());
        final BigInteger p = ((ECFieldFp) field).getP();
        final BigInteger a = curve.getA();
        ECPoint R = ECPoint.POINT_INFINITY;
        // value only valid for curve secp256k1, code taken from https://www.secg.org/sec2-v2.pdf,
        // see "Finally the order n of G and the cofactor are: n = "FF.."
        BigInteger SECP256K1_Q = new BigInteger("00FFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFEBAAEDCE6AF48A03BBFD25E8CD0364141",16);
        BigInteger k = kin.mod(SECP256K1_Q); // uses this !
        // wrong as per comment from President James Moveon Polk
        // BigInteger k = kin.mod(p); // do not use this !
        System.out.println(" SECP256K1_Q: " + SECP256K1_Q);
        System.out.println("           p: " + p);
        System.out.println("curve: " + curve.toString());
        final int length = k.bitLength();
        final byte[] binarray = new byte[length];
        for (int i = 0; i <= length - 1; i++) {
            binarray[i] = k.mod(FieldP_2).byteValue();
            k = k.shiftRight(1);
        for (int i = length - 1; i >= 0; i--) {
            R = doublePoint(p, a, R);
            if (binarray[i] == 1) R = addPoint(p, a, R, g);
        return R;
    public static ECPublicKey getPublicKey(final ECPrivateKey pk) throws GeneralSecurityException {
        final ECParameterSpec params = pk.getParams();
        final ECPoint w = scalmultNew(params, pk.getParams().getGenerator(), pk.getS());
        //final ECPoint w = scalmult(params.getCurve(), pk.getParams().getGenerator(), pk.getS());
        final KeyFactory kg = KeyFactory.getInstance("EC");
        return (ECPublicKey) kg.generatePublic(new ECPublicKeySpec(w, params));
This is the output:
Generate ECPublicKey from PrivateKey (String) for curve secp256k1 (final)
Check keys with https://gobittest.appspot.com/Address
privatekey given : D12D2FACA9AD92828D89683778CB8DFCCDBD6C9E92F6AB7D6065E8AACC1FF6D6
publicKeyExpected: 04661BA57FED0D115222E30FE7E9509325EE30E7E284D3641E6FB5E67368C2DB185ADA8EFC5DC43AF6BF474A41ED6237573DC4ED693D49102C42FFC88510500799
Generate PublicKey from PrivateKey with BouncyCastle
publicKeyExpected: 04661BA57FED0D115222E30FE7E9509325EE30E7E284D3641E6FB5E67368C2DB185ADA8EFC5DC43AF6BF474A41ED6237573DC4ED693D49102C42FFC88510500799
publicKey BC     : 04661BA57FED0D115222E30FE7E9509325EE30E7E284D3641E6FB5E67368C2DB185ADA8EFC5DC43AF6BF474A41ED6237573DC4ED693D49102C42FFC88510500799
publicKeys match : true
Generate PublicKey from PrivateKey with Java native routines
privateKey full  : 303E020100301006072A8648CE3D020106052B8104000A042730250201010420D12D2FACA9AD92828D89683778CB8DFCCDBD6C9E92F6AB7D6065E8AACC1FF6D6
ecPublicKeyFull  : 3056301006072A8648CE3D020106052B8104000A03420004661BA57FED0D115222E30FE7E9509325EE30E7E284D3641E6FB5E67368C2DB185ADA8EFC5DC43AF6BF474A41ED6237573DC4ED693D49102C42FFC88510500799
ecPublicKeyHeader: 3056301006072A8648CE3D020106052B8104000A034200
ecPublicKeyKey   : 04661BA57FED0D115222E30FE7E9509325EE30E7E284D3641E6FB5E67368C2DB185ADA8EFC5DC43AF6BF474A41ED6237573DC4ED693D49102C42FFC88510500799
publicKeyExpected: 04661BA57FED0D115222E30FE7E9509325EE30E7E284D3641E6FB5E67368C2DB185ADA8EFC5DC43AF6BF474A41ED6237573DC4ED693D49102C42FFC88510500799
publicKeys match : true
If anyone needs this solution for another curve here is a solution from user Maarten Bodewes to generate the "magic string":
import java.security.InvalidAlgorithmParameterException;
import java.security.KeyPairGenerator;
import java.security.NoSuchAlgorithmException;
import java.security.interfaces.ECPrivateKey;
import java.security.spec.ECGenParameterSpec;
import java.security.spec.PKCS8EncodedKeySpec;
public class CreateHeadForNamedCurveSo {
    public static void main(String[] args) throws InvalidAlgorithmParameterException, NoSuchAlgorithmException {
        System.out.println("create private key head for named curve");
        System.out.println("see https://stackoverflow.com/a/30471945/8166854");
        System.out.println("author: Maarten Bodewes\n");
        // input
        String curvename = "secp256k1";
        String privateKeyHeaderExpected = "303E020100301006072A8648CE3D020106052B8104000A042730250201010420";
        String privateKeyHeaderFromCurve = createPrivateKeyHeaderForNamedCurve(curvename);
        // output
        System.out.println("Curvename                    : " + curvename);
        System.out.println("expected private key header  : " + privateKeyHeaderExpected);
        System.out.println("calculated private key header: " + privateKeyHeaderFromCurve);
        System.out.println("private key headers matching : " + privateKeyHeaderExpected.contentEquals(privateKeyHeaderFromCurve));
    private static String createPrivateKeyHeaderForNamedCurve(String name)
            throws NoSuchAlgorithmException,
            InvalidAlgorithmParameterException {
        KeyPairGenerator kpg = KeyPairGenerator.getInstance("EC");
        ECGenParameterSpec m = new ECGenParameterSpec(name);
        kpg.initialize(m);
        ECPrivateKey privateKey = (ECPrivateKey) kpg.generateKeyPair().getPrivate();
        PKCS8EncodedKeySpec pKCS8EncodedKeySpec = new PKCS8EncodedKeySpec(privateKey.getEncoded());
        String pKCS8EncodedKeySpecString = byteArrayToHexString(pKCS8EncodedKeySpec.getEncoded());
        return pKCS8EncodedKeySpecString.substring(0,64);
    private static String byteArrayToHexString(byte[] a) {
        StringBuilder sb = new StringBuilder(a.length * 2);
        for (byte b : a)
            sb.append(String.format("%02X", b));
        return sb.toString();
    public static byte[] hexStringToByteArray(String s) {
        int len = s.length();
        byte[] data = new byte[len / 2];
        for (int i = 0; i < len; i += 2) {
            data[i / 2] = (byte) ((Character.digit(s.charAt(i), 16) << 4)
                    + Character.digit(s.charAt(i + 1), 16));
        return data;
Enjoy !
        
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