# RIPEMD-256

> cryptographic hash function

**Wikidata**: [Q7888922](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q7888922)  
**Wikipedia**: [English](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RIPEMD-256)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/ripemd-256

## Summary
RIPEMD-256 is a cryptographic hash function developed in 1996 by Hans Dobbertin, Antoon Bosselaers, and Bart Preneel. As a member of the RIPEMD family of hash functions, its design is based on the principles of both the original RIPEMD and the MD4 hash function. It is a special class of hash function with properties that make it suitable for cryptographic applications.

## Key Facts
- **Type:** Cryptographic hash function
- **Inventors:** Hans Dobbertin, Antoon Bosselaers, Bart Preneel
- **Year of Invention:** 1996
- **Based On:** RIPEMD, MD4
- **Full Name:** RACE Integrity Primitives Evaluation Message Digest
- **Related To:** RIPEMD (family of hash functions)
- **Wikipedia Presence:** Available in 3 languages (English, French, Russian)

## FAQs
### Q: What is RIPEMD-256?
A: RIPEMD-256 is a cryptographic hash function created in 1996. It is part of the RIPEMD family and is used in cryptography to ensure data integrity.

### Q: Who created RIPEMD-256?
A: RIPEMD-256 was created by the team of Hans Dobbertin, Antoon Bosselaers, and Bart Preneel.

### Q: What other hash functions is RIPEMD-256 based on?
A: The design of RIPEMD-256 is based on the principles of two earlier hash functions: the original RIPEMD and MD4.

## Why It Matters
RIPEMD-256 is significant as part of the broader evolution of cryptographic hash functions designed to provide digital security and data integrity. Developed in the mid-1990s, the RIPEMD family emerged as a European alternative to widely used American standards like the MD and SHA families. Its creation by respected cryptographers addressed the ongoing need for secure and reliable hashing algorithms as vulnerabilities were being discovered in older functions like MD4.

The full name, RACE Integrity Primitives Evaluation Message Digest, highlights its purpose within the European research project RACE, which aimed to develop robust security tools. As a specific variant, RIPEMD-256 represents an iteration in the quest for stronger cryptographic primitives. Its existence underscores the continuous, global effort to develop diverse and secure cryptographic tools, ensuring that multiple, independently designed options are available for securing digital information.

## Notable For
- **Distinguished Creators:** It was developed by the well-known cryptographers Hans Dobbertin, Antoon Bosselaers, and Bart Preneel.
- **Part of a Family:** RIPEMD-256 is a member of the RIPEMD (RACE Integrity Primitives Evaluation Message Digest) family of hash functions.
- **Hybrid Lineage:** Its design is explicitly based on the principles of two distinct predecessors, the original RIPEMD and the MD4 hash function.

## Body
### Origins and Development
RIPEMD-256 was invented in 1996 by a team of three cryptographers:
- Hans Dobbertin
- Antoon Bosselaers
- Bart Preneel

### Classification and Lineage
- **Type:** RIPEMD-256 is an instance of a cryptographic hash function, a special class of hash function designed for use in cryptography.
- **Family:** It belongs to the RIPEMD family of hash functions. The name is an acronym for RACE Integrity Primitives Evaluation Message Digest.
- **Foundations:** The function's design is based on the principles of two earlier hash functions: RIPEMD and MD4.

### Identification
- **Google Knowledge Graph ID:** /g/122drxks
- **Wikipedia Title:** The entity is documented on Wikipedia under the title `RIPEMD-256` in English, French, and Russian.