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How Hashing Works

The one-way function that powers modern computing

Type anything:

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SHA-256 Hash Function

Hash output (always 64 hex characters):

🎯

Deterministic

Same input always gives same output

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One-Way

Cannot reverse to get input

❄️

Avalanche Effect

Tiny change = completely different hash

Avalanche Effect Demo

Change one character, change everything:

What is Hashing?

A hash function takes any input (a password, a file, an entire database) and outputs a fixed-size "fingerprint".

You can't work backwards from the hash to find the original input. That's what makes it secure.

Used Everywhere

🔐 Password storage
✅ File integrity checks
⛓️ Blockchain
📦 Hash tables (O(1) lookup)
✍️ Digital signatures
🔍 Deduplication
🌐 Git commits

Why "One-Way"?

When you log in, the site hashes your password and compares it to the stored hash. Even if hackers steal the database, they only get hashes—not your actual password.