SHA-256 Hash Generator
Generate SHA-256 (256-bit) hashes from text or files. The industry standard for security, used in Bitcoin, TLS, and code signing.
SHA-256 Hash
64 hex characters (256 bits)Enter text and click Generate to create a SHA-256 hash
File SHA-256 Hash
Drop a file here or click to select
Max 50 MB
Select or drag a file above to compute its SHA-256 checksum. Processing happens entirely in your browser when possible.
Other Hash Algorithms
What is SHA-256?
SHA-256 (Secure Hash Algorithm 256-bit) is a cryptographic hash function from the SHA-2 family, producing a 256-bit (32-byte) hash value. Published by NIST in 2001, it is the most widely used secure hash function today, powering Bitcoin, TLS/SSL, digital signatures, and code signing.
How SHA-256 Works
SHA-256 processes data in 512-bit blocks through 64 rounds of compression. It maintains a 256-bit state (eight 32-bit words initialized to the first 32 bits of the fractional parts of the square roots of the first 8 primes). Each round applies sigma functions, majority/choice functions, and adds a round constant derived from cube roots of the first 64 primes.
Output
64 hex characters (256 bits)
Year
2001
Status
✓ Secure
Common Use Cases
- Bitcoin and cryptocurrency mining
- TLS/SSL certificate verification
- Digital signatures (ECDSA with SHA-256)
- Code signing and software verification
- File integrity verification
- Data deduplication and content addressing
Security Considerations
SHA-256 has no known practical attacks. The best theoretical attack reduces security from 256 bits to approximately 254.9 bits, which is negligible. SHA-256 is approved by NIST, NSA, and is the backbone of Bitcoin's security model. It is considered safe for all current applications.
SHA-256 vs Other Algorithms
SHA-256 offers the best balance of security and performance in the SHA-2 family. It's twice as fast as SHA-512 on 32-bit systems but slightly slower on 64-bit systems. Compared to SHA-3-256, SHA-256 is faster in software but SHA-3 offers a different internal structure as a hedge against SHA-2 vulnerabilities.