RIPEMD-256
Compute the RIPEMD-256 hash of any input.
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What is RIPEMD-256?
RIPEMD-256 is a 256-bit cryptographic hash function published in 1996 by Dobbertin, Bosselaers, and Preneel. It produces a 256-bit (32-byte) digest shown as 64 hexadecimal characters.
Structurally it is two parallel RIPEMD-128 computations with different constants, whose outputs are combined into a single 256-bit value. This design gives a longer output without adding rounds to the compression function.
How to compute RIPEMD-256
Type or paste your input. Choose the input encoding (UTF-8, hex, or Base64). For example, the UTF-8 string abc produces:
afbd6e228b9d8cbbcef5ca2d03e6dba10ac0bc7dcbe4680e1e42d2e975459b65
The RIPEMD family
RIPEMD-256 is one of five RIPEMD variants. Unlike RIPEMD-128 and RIPEMD-160, which combine their two parallel lines after every block, RIPEMD-256 uses two independent 128-bit states that are only combined at the very end of processing each block. This provides a longer output without increasing the number of rounds per block.
Its sibling, RIPEMD-320, uses the same approach with 160-bit lines to produce a 320-bit digest.
FAQ
Is RIPEMD-256 common?
No. RIPEMD-160 is the widely deployed variant (used by Bitcoin for address derivation and by OpenPGP). RIPEMD-256 is rare, appearing mostly in academic comparisons and in a few specialized systems.
RIPEMD-256 vs SHA-256
Both produce 256-bit output. SHA-256 is more thoroughly studied, standardized by NIST, and used in nearly every modern protocol. RIPEMD-256 has no practical advantage. If you have a choice, use SHA-256.
Is RIPEMD-256 secure?
No known practical attack exists. But like all non-standardized hashes, it has received far less scrutiny than SHA-2 or SHA-3, so its security margin is less well understood. For new work, prefer SHA-256 or BLAKE3.
Why is RIPEMD-256 slower than RIPEMD-128?
Because it does roughly twice the work per block. RIPEMD-256 processes two 128-bit states in parallel, so on a single CPU it takes about twice as long as RIPEMD-128 for the same input.
Can I use RIPEMD-256 for password hashing?
No. It is a fast hash and provides no protection against offline brute force. Use Argon2id, scrypt, or bcrypt instead.
Command line equivalent
# Python
python3 -c 'import hashlib; print(hashlib.new("ripemd256", b"abc").hexdigest())'
# OpenSSL (no ripemd256 in the default provider)
# RIPEMD-256 is not part of the standard OpenSSL algorithm set.
# This tool
# Uses a bundled implementation; no install required.