BLAKE3
Parallelizable hashing that beats every other secure algorithm on raw throughput. Has a built-in XOF, MAC, and KDF mode.
By Deepak Gupta ·
BLAKE3 is what BLAKE2 looks like if you redesign for SIMD and many-core CPUs. The internal tree structure means a 1 GB file's hash can be computed in parallel across every core on your laptop. On modern AMD/Intel hardware it routinely outruns SHA-256 even *with* SHA-NI acceleration. It's a single algorithm that fills multiple roles: plain hashing, keyed hashing (replaces HMAC), extendable-output (replaces SHAKE), and key derivation (replaces HKDF). The big trade-off is ecosystem maturity: SHA-256 is in every standard library forever; BLAKE3 still needs a dependency in most languages. Reach for it when raw throughput matters and you control the consumer.
Recommended uses
- ·Hashing huge files in parallel (backups, deduplication, content-addressed storage)
- ·Replacing HMAC + HKDF + SHAKE with a single primitive
- ·High-throughput Merkle-tree leaf hashing
Known attacks / caveats
- ·None practical.
Designed by
O'Connor, Aumasson, Neves, Wilcox-O'Hearn, published 2020.