Distributed Key
A distributed key is a cryptographic key that is generated among multiple parties. This is done by using a cryptographic process where all of these parties are part of the public and private key pair’s generation and computation. With a distributed key, no single party has complete knowledge of the key, and it can only be used if a certain number of parties cooperate.
These keys are usually deployed in security systems to improve security and protect them from attacks.
One of the most common ways to generate distributed keys is to use a distributed key generation protocol. These protocols (also known as DKG protocols) allow every party to generate a share of the key. As soon as the key is generated, it is distributes in multiple shares to the different parties. The only way to reconstruct that key is if a certain number of parties combine these shares.