BLAKE2b
BLAKE2b is the 64-bit-word variant of BLAKE2, outputting 1-64 byte digests; several times faster than SHA-512 on 64-bit platforms with comparable security.
Purpose
Provides a fast, configurable digest length, length-extension-resistant hash — an improved version of BLAKE.
Mechanism
A sponge-style variant based on ChaCha round functions: 12 rounds of compression function G over a state of 8×64-bit words. Supports tree mode, keyed mode, and salt/personalization parameters.
Use cases
- High-speed file verification
- Cryptographic replacement for MD5
- Content-addressed storage