A public key is cryptographic data mathematically linked to a private key and used to verify digital signatures.
In public-key cryptography, the private key signs and the corresponding public key allows others to verify the signature without learning the secret key. Many blockchain systems derive user-facing addresses from a public key or from scripts that include public-key information, although address construction differs across networks. Public keys can be shared openly without granting signing authority.
A public key verifies signatures. A blockchain address is a network-specific identifier used to direct transactions and is not universally identical to the public key.
Public-key cryptography allows blockchain networks to verify transaction authorization without a central password database or disclosure of private signing keys.
A blockchain node can verify that a stablecoin transfer carries a valid signature corresponding to the relevant public key.