What is a public key?

Imagine your public key as the address of your mailbox written on the outside of it. This address is what you give to others so they can send you things (like cryptocurrencies).

Unlike your private key, which is secret, your public key is safe to share with others. It's like sharing your mailbox number with friends so they can send you letters or packages. They can use your public key to verify transactions and send you cryptocurrencies securely.