With Bitcoin, a single private key will have associated **compressed** and **uncompressed** private/public key pairs. **Uncompressed public key addresses are larger in size than newer compressed public addresses.** (Contrast 1b and 2b below.) Uncompressed and compressed public keys shall have different associated Bitcoin addresses. Private keys in encoded in wallet input format (WIF) will implicitly communicate to a hot wallet if uncompressed or compressed keys are to be used. A Blockchain records funds sent to either address uncompressed or compressed independently. 

Here are illustrative examples using [libbitcoin's](https://github.com/libbitcoin/libbitcoin-explorer/wiki) bitcoin-explorer (**bx**) command line interface using one of the absolute worst hexadecimal encoded private keys in the world ```0000111122223333444455556666777788889999aaaabbbbccccddddeeeeffff``` that is obviously 256 bits in length.

**1a) Uncompressed Private Key WIF-encoded:** 

% echo "0000111122223333444455556666777788889999aaaabbbbccccddddeeeeffff" | bx base58check-encode -v 128

```5HpHb4pzVWwsDAHNwwUS3VViCkwzcutaSJ57T4GNFw5UBNLSrRV```

**1b) Uncompressed Public Key:**

% echo "0000111122223333444455556666777788889999aaaabbbbccccddddeeeeffff" | bx ec-to-public -u

```040d47568a5e517067a2836c3823fbc58169a7662bfae934a4d41da3e23c98d816e7202dd702ffe038147f78aee4973a581972960a1460312ffb6f3f0f13d4a52c```

**1c) Uncompressed Public Address:**

% echo "0000111122223333444455556666777788889999aaaabbbbccccddddeeeeffff" | bx ec-to-public -u | bx ec-to-address -v 0

[```1NGoV1EGZrwM7yvUYqRC7TMBMj7ftpjR2B```](https://blockchain.info/address/1NGoV1EGZrwM7yvUYqRC7TMBMj7ftpjR2B)


**2a) Compressed Private Key WIF-encoded:**

% echo "0000111122223333444455556666777788889999aaaabbbbccccddddeeeeffff01" | bx base58check-encode -v 128

```KwDiDMtpksBAcfyHsVS5XzmirtyjKWSeaeM9U1QppugixMUeKMqp```

**2b) Compressed Public Key:**

% echo "0000111122223333444455556666777788889999aaaabbbbccccddddeeeeffff" | bx ec-to-public

```020d47568a5e517067a2836c3823fbc58169a7662bfae934a4d41da3e23c98d816```

**2c) Compressed Public Address:**

% echo "0000111122223333444455556666777788889999aaaabbbbccccddddeeeeffff" | bx ec-to-public | bx ec-to-address -v 0

[```1PbStXjfDNBU6FZA2iSeisVWwCFN9GK1eQ```](https://blockchain.info/address/1PbStXjfDNBU6FZA2iSeisVWwCFN9GK1eQ)  *<- No bot was fast enough here to intercept my experimentation*