# Hash Functions and BSV's Security Model

<figure><img src="https://hub.bsvblockchain.org/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F2147185133-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FWtK4ab0ntyPZBmGoKq4t%252Fuploads%252Fgit-blob-629476189571b0369000a17217431f097931ca1a%252FBSVA-HashFunctions_Ch7L2_DA1.gif%3Falt%3Dmedia&#x26;width=768&#x26;dpr=4&#x26;quality=100&#x26;sign=6de14b9e&#x26;sv=2" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

To understand how hash functions strengthen BSV’s security, we first need to look at BSV’s **overall approach to securing information**.

Most digital systems today depend on **Public Key Infrastructure (PKI)** or variations of it, and some rely on simpler alternatives like **HMACs**. Both of these models use strong cryptographic primitives, but they also introduce weaknesses—such as dependence on central authorities, shared secrets, and encrypted blind spots.

BSV, on the other hand, takes a different approach. While it uses the same underlying cryptographic tools, it applies them in a far more **granular and effective way**. At the heart of this design is the **UTXO (Unspent Transaction Output) model**, which firewalls identity from network activity. This creates a new kind of security model—one that avoids the pitfalls of traditional PKI and HMACs, while still ensuring privacy, authenticity, and integrity.

👉 **In simpler terms:** Before we can appreciate how hash functions secure BSV, we need to understand why older models like PKI and HMACs fall short—and how BSV’s design overcomes their limitations.


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