What is Whirlpool?
Whirlpool is a cryptographic hash function. It produces a 512-bit (64-byte) hash value, typically shown as a 128-character hexadecimal string.
Key characteristics:
- Deterministic: The same input always produces the same hash
- Avalanche effect: Small changes in input produce very different outputs
- Collision resistant: Designed to make collisions hard to find
Common uses:
- Data integrity checks
- Digital signatures
- Secure identifiers