Random seed explained

A seed is the starting value that drives a deterministic random process. Same seed and algorithm → same sequence. That property is useful for tests — and dangerous when the seed is secret in a public raffle.

Secret seeds

If only the operator knows the seed, participants must trust them. There is no independent way to confirm the outcome was not cherry-picked.

Public cryptographic seeds

EntropyDraw derives a seed from SHA-256 of a public entropy image, then mixes range, time and description into a draw hash. The “seed material” is published, so verification is possible.

Best practice

Never rely on an unpublished seed for contested prizes. Prefer processes where all inputs that affect the result are visible after the draw.