---
id: lightecc
version: "0.0.7"
license: unclear
license_treatment: permissive
maintenance: active
---

# lightecc — A Lightweight Elliptic Curve Cryptography Arithmetic Library for Python with Support for Prime and Binary Fields

License: permissive · Maintenance: active · Downloads: 146.6K/mo

## What it is and what it does

LightECC is a Python library that wraps multiple elliptic curve forms (Weierstrass, Edwards, Koblitz) and provides a unified interface for performing arithmetic on elliptic curve points using standard Python operators. Instead of manually implementing curve-specific formulas, you instantiate a LightECC object with a form and curve name, retrieve the base point, and perform addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division using +, -, *, and / operators.

The library supports many pre-defined curves across different security strengths, from 160-bit to 638-bit orders. Addition and subtraction run in constant time; multiplication uses the double-and-add method for O(log n) performance; division solves the discrete logarithm problem and is computationally expensive. It depends only on tqdm and requires Python 3.5.5 or later, making it lightweight and easy to integrate.

Use it for:

- Building elliptic curve cryptosystems for digital signatures or key exchange without manually implementing curve arithmetic
- Prototyping or learning elliptic curve cryptography with multiple curve forms in a single library
- Performing scalar multiplication and point operations in cryptographic protocols that use standard curves like secp256k1 or ed25519
- Experimenting with different curve orders and forms to understand their security and performance trade-offs

## Worth the install?

AI-flagged interpretation of the facts above — verify before relying.

LightECC provides elliptic curve arithmetic operations (addition, subtraction, multiplication, division) across multiple curve forms—Weierstrass, Edwards, and Koblitz—with a simple operator-based interface that abstracts the underlying mathematics.

Yes, if you need a lightweight, operator-friendly elliptic curve arithmetic library and are comfortable with a young project (first release March 2025). The permissive license, low install friction, active maintenance, and absence of known vulnerabilities are positive signals. However, verify that the library meets your security and performance requirements before use in production—no evidence of formal cryptographic audit is present in the fact sheet.

## Install

pip install lightecc
uv add lightecc
poetry add lightecc

## Installing lightecc

Before you install: Low install friction; pure Python wheel with a single runtime dependency (tqdm). The package is actively maintained with a recent commit and permissive licensing, though it is young (first release March 2025).

License in practice: MIT license (permissive) allows free use, modification, and distribution with minimal restrictions, making it suitable for both open-source and commercial projects.

Quickstart:

pip install lightecc

from lightecc import LightECC

ec = LightECC(form_name="edwards", curve_name="ed25519")
G = ec.G
_2G = G + G
_20G = 20 * G

Verify before relying:

- Whether the library has undergone cryptographic security audits or peer review
- Performance characteristics compared to established ECC libraries in real-world use
- Completeness of documentation and examples beyond the README excerpt

## Package facts

- License: not declared (permissive)
- Python support: supports_current
- Install friction: low
- Maintenance: active
- Downloads: 146.6K/month (top 15,000 on PyPI)
- Known vulnerabilities: none known

## Tags

elliptic curve cryptography library, ECC arithmetic operations, elliptic curve point operations, weierstrass edwards koblitz curves, lightweight cryptography python, elliptic curve scalar multiplication, cryptography, elliptic-curves, arithmetic

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