NIST Randomness Beacon

Use the random values the US National Institute of Standards and Technology publishes, so a random choice can be proved rather than trusted. NIST publishes a fresh 512 bit value every minute, signs it, and leaves it on the public record forever, where anyone in the world can look it up. Announce in advance which minute's value a draw will use, then draw winners, audit samples or tie-breaks from it and hand out the link that lets anybody repeat the same draw and get the same answer. Read the value for any minute since July 2018, list a run of them for an audit trail, and check a value somebody published against NIST's own record. No account, no API key, no sign-up.

Actions

Action	What it does
Check a published value	Check a value somebody published against NIST's own record.
Draw from a list	Draw entries out of a list using a random value NIST published, so the result can be checked by anybody rather than trusted.
Get a random value by its number	Get one exact value by the numbers NIST files it under.
Get NIST's signing certificate	Get the certificate NIST signs its published values with: who it belongs to, who issued it, and how long it lasts.
Get the latest random value	Get the random value NIST is publishing right now.
Get the random value for a time	Get the random value that was on the public record at a particular moment.
List the values published from a time	List the values NIST published from a moment onward, in order.

Check a published value

Check a value somebody published against NIST's own record. Give it the value and the time it was said to come from, and it reads that moment back from NIST and says whether they agree. When they do, it also confirms the value sits inside NIST's chain by reading back the value before it, which is what would catch a record altered after the fact.

Inputs

Published valuerandom_valuetextRequired: The value to check, as it was published. Spaces and line breaks picked up from a copy and paste do not matter.
Published atpublished_atdate and timeRequired: The date and time it was said to come from.

Outputs

asked_abouttext: The moment that was asked about, in UTC
chain_checktext: What that second check found, in a line
checked_valuetext: The value that was handed in
linked_to_previous_valuetrue/false: True when it follows the value before it as NIST says
matchestrue/false: True when NIST published that value then
nist_valuetext: What NIST actually published at that time
published_attext: When NIST published the value it holds
record_urltext: Where anybody can read the same value
seriesnumber: Which run of values it belongs to
value_numbernumber: Its place in that series
verdicttext: The answer in a sentence, ready to show

Example output

{
  "asked_about": "2024-09-24T10:43:20Z",
  "chain_check": "This value carries the value published a minute before it, and that earlier value matches NIST's record, so it sits inside the published chain.",
  "checked_value": "6CA50557C212E8938F9B4D0A936553851A323571631AAFFA6414ACE9982D8CB2A1B0D0A0BF18B64355C795E2409247CA85E474B30C7516D1523E13A775275AC8",
  "linked_to_previous_value": true,
  "matches": true,
  "nist_value": "6CA50557C212E8938F9B4D0A936553851A323571631AAFFA6414ACE9982D8CB2A1B0D0A0BF18B64355C795E2409247CA85E474B30C7516D1523E13A775275AC8",
  "published_at": "2024-09-24T10:43:00Z",
  "record_url": "https://beacon.nist.gov/beacon/2.0/chain/2/pulse/1000000",
  "series": 2,
  "value_number": 1000000,
  "verdict": "This is the value NIST published at 2024-09-24T10:43:00Z."
}

Draw from a list

Draw entries out of a list using a random value NIST published, so the result can be checked by anybody rather than trusted. Pick winners of a prize draw, choose which orders to audit, or settle a tie. Each entry can be drawn only once. The answer carries the value used, where to read it on NIST's site, and the arithmetic in one sentence, which together are enough for someone else to arrive at the same picks from the same list.

Inputs

ListentrieslistRequired: What to draw from: names, order numbers, email addresses, anything. Point it at a list an earlier step produced, or type the entries in.
How many to drawpicknumber: How many entries to take out of the list.From 1 to 1000. Default: 1.
Published valuerandom_valuetext: Leave this empty to draw on the value NIST is publishing right now. Fill it in to draw on a value you announced in advance, taking it from 'Get the random value for a time' or any other action here.

Outputs

entries_considerednumber: How many entries the list held
how_it_was_drawntext: The arithmetic, so somebody else can repeat it
pickslist: What was drawn, in the order drawn
published_attext: When NIST published it, when the draw fetched it
random_valuetext: The published value the draw used
record_urltext: Where anybody can read the same value
seriesnumber: Which run of values it belongs to
value_numbernumber: Its place in that series

Example output

{
  "entries_considered": 812,
  "how_it_was_drawn": "NIST's published value and the draw's position (0 for the first pick, 1 for the second, and so on) are joined and hashed with SHA-512. The result, read as one long number, is divided by how many entries are still in the list, and the remainder is the position of the entry drawn. That entry is taken out and the next pick repeats on what is left.",
  "picks": [
    "ada@example.com",
    "grace@example.com"
  ],
  "published_at": "2024-09-24T10:43:00Z",
  "random_value": "6CA50557C212E8938F9B4D0A936553851A323571631AAFFA6414ACE9982D8CB2A1B0D0A0BF18B64355C795E2409247CA85E474B30C7516D1523E13A775275AC8",
  "record_url": "https://beacon.nist.gov/beacon/2.0/chain/2/pulse/1000000",
  "series": 2,
  "value_number": 1000000
}

Get a random value by its number

Get one exact value by the numbers NIST files it under. Every value belongs to a series and has a place in it, and every answer from the other actions here carries both, so this is how a value someone quoted in a report or a press release is read back without going through its time.

Inputs

SeriesseriesnumberRequired: Which run of values it belongs to. NIST is on series 2, which it started in September 2022; series 1 ran from 2018 until April 2022. Every answer from the other actions carries this.From 1 to 100. Default: 2.
Value numbervalue_numbernumberRequired: Its place in that series, counting from 1. NIST publishes one a minute, so these run into the millions. Every answer from the other actions carries this.From 1 to 1000000000. Default: 1.

Outputs

published_attext: The minute it was published, in UTC
published_everytext: How often NIST publishes, in words
random_valuetext: The 512 bits NIST published, written as 128 characters
record_urltext: Where anybody can read the same value on NIST's site
seriesnumber: Which run of values it belongs to
signed_with_certificatetext: The certificate NIST signed it with
statustext: Normal, the first value of a series, or the first after a gap
value_numbernumber: Its place in that series

Example output

{
  "published_at": "2024-09-24T10:43:00Z",
  "published_every": "Every minute",
  "random_value": "6CA50557C212E8938F9B4D0A936553851A323571631AAFFA6414ACE9982D8CB2A1B0D0A0BF18B64355C795E2409247CA85E474B30C7516D1523E13A775275AC8",
  "record_url": "https://beacon.nist.gov/beacon/2.0/chain/2/pulse/1000000",
  "series": 2,
  "signed_with_certificate": "e692b0f6b208322ac84c963e167245f6356c21f31fa95274b25e92329510b5a210d5179afb6ee25e12dd9fc2691f49ed778d9a709aa3c2ea0f3ff2eaf8c47a62",
  "status": "Normal",
  "value_number": 1000000
}

Get NIST's signing certificate

Get the certificate NIST signs its published values with: who it belongs to, who issued it, and how long it lasts. Every value names the certificate that signed it, so this is what an auditor who wants to verify the signatures themselves needs. Leave the field empty for the one NIST is signing with today.

Inputs

Certificatecertificate_idtext: Which certificate to fetch. Every value carries this on 'signed_with_certificate'. Leave it empty for the one in use right now.

Outputs

certificatetext: The certificate itself, as text
certificate_idtext: The identifier this certificate is filed under
id_matches_certificatetrue/false: True when the identifier is this certificate's own fingerprint, which is how NIST files them
is_currently_validtrue/false: True when today falls inside those dates
is_the_current_onetrue/false: True when this is the certificate NIST is signing with today
issued_bytext: The authority that issued it
issued_totext: The name on the certificate
organizationtext: Who it belongs to
valid_fromtext: When it became valid
valid_untiltext: When it expires

Example output

{
  "certificate": "-----BEGIN CERTIFICATE-----\nMIIG/jCCBeagAwIBAgIQDoAgTz/pRbYv/MGlXRHU7DANBgkqhkiG9w0B\n-----END CERTIFICATE-----",
  "certificate_id": "87f27f431da3f584af6007fe045df13aaa81d831f335b6ee73f6334768f32d3ae10491e669b93a43e548b20370a6526c3def99643c25d8ad7bf5df95a3c2b45d",
  "id_matches_certificate": true,
  "is_currently_valid": true,
  "is_the_current_one": true,
  "issued_by": "DigiCert Global G2 TLS RSA SHA256 2020 CA1",
  "issued_to": "engine.beacon.nist.gov",
  "organization": "National Institute of Standards and Technology",
  "valid_from": "2026-09-03T00:00:00Z",
  "valid_until": "2027-03-20T23:59:59Z"
}

Get the latest random value

Get the random value NIST is publishing right now. It changes every minute, nobody can predict it before it appears, and it stays on the public record forever, so anyone can look up later what it was. Use it whenever a decision has to be random and has to be seen to be random.

Inputs

None.

Outputs

published_attext: The minute it was published, in UTC
published_everytext: How often NIST publishes, in words
random_valuetext: The 512 bits NIST published, written as 128 characters
record_urltext: Where anybody can read the same value on NIST's site
seriesnumber: Which run of values it belongs to
signed_with_certificatetext: The certificate NIST signed it with
statustext: Normal, the first value of a series, or the first after a gap
value_numbernumber: Its place in that series

Example output

{
  "published_at": "2024-09-24T10:43:00Z",
  "published_every": "Every minute",
  "random_value": "6CA50557C212E8938F9B4D0A936553851A323571631AAFFA6414ACE9982D8CB2A1B0D0A0BF18B64355C795E2409247CA85E474B30C7516D1523E13A775275AC8",
  "record_url": "https://beacon.nist.gov/beacon/2.0/chain/2/pulse/1000000",
  "series": 2,
  "signed_with_certificate": "e692b0f6b208322ac84c963e167245f6356c21f31fa95274b25e92329510b5a210d5179afb6ee25e12dd9fc2691f49ed778d9a709aa3c2ea0f3ff2eaf8c47a62",
  "status": "Normal",
  "value_number": 1000000
}

Get the random value for a time

Get the random value that was on the public record at a particular moment. This is how a draw is settled after the fact: announce beforehand that you will use the value from, say, noon on Friday, then come back and read it. Because everyone can read the same value at the same address, nobody has to take your word for what it was.

Inputs

Date and timemomentdate and timeRequired: The moment to read the record at. NIST publishes a new value every minute, so this is the value that minute carried.

Outputs

asked_abouttext: The moment that was asked about, in UTC
how_closetext: Whether this answers the moment asked about, in a line
is_from_the_same_minutetrue/false: True when NIST published in the minute asked about
published_attext: The minute it was published, in UTC
published_everytext: How often NIST publishes, in words
random_valuetext: The 512 bits NIST published, written as 128 characters
record_urltext: Where anybody can read the same value on NIST's site
seconds_before_the_momentnumber: How long before that moment it was published
seriesnumber: Which run of values it belongs to
signed_with_certificatetext: The certificate NIST signed it with
statustext: Normal, the first value of a series, or the first after a gap
value_numbernumber: Its place in that series

Example output

{
  "asked_about": "2024-09-24T10:43:20Z",
  "how_close": "Published in the minute asked about.",
  "is_from_the_same_minute": true,
  "published_at": "2024-09-24T10:43:00Z",
  "published_every": "Every minute",
  "random_value": "6CA50557C212E8938F9B4D0A936553851A323571631AAFFA6414ACE9982D8CB2A1B0D0A0BF18B64355C795E2409247CA85E474B30C7516D1523E13A775275AC8",
  "record_url": "https://beacon.nist.gov/beacon/2.0/chain/2/pulse/1000000",
  "seconds_before_the_moment": 20,
  "series": 2,
  "signed_with_certificate": "e692b0f6b208322ac84c963e167245f6356c21f31fa95274b25e92329510b5a210d5179afb6ee25e12dd9fc2691f49ed778d9a709aa3c2ea0f3ff2eaf8c47a62",
  "status": "Normal",
  "value_number": 1000000
}

List the values published from a time

List the values NIST published from a moment onward, in order. One a minute, so ten of them is ten minutes of the record and sixty is an hour. Use it to keep an audit trail of a window that mattered, or to show a run of values around a draw rather than the single one it used. A run that reaches the present simply stops there and says so.

Inputs

Starting atstarting_atdate and timeRequired: The date and time to start reading from.
How manycountnumber: How many values to read. One a minute, so this is also how many minutes of the record it covers. Each is a separate request to NIST, so a long run takes a moment.From 1 to 60. Default: 10.

Outputs

asked_fornumber: How many values were asked for
countnumber: How many came back
first_published_attext: When the first one was published
last_published_attext: When the last one was published
reached_the_end_of_the_recordtrue/false: True when the run caught up with the present
starting_attext: The moment the run started from, in UTC
valueslist

Example output

{
  "asked_for": 2,
  "count": 2,
  "first_published_at": "2024-09-24T10:43:00Z",
  "last_published_at": "2024-09-24T10:44:00Z",
  "reached_the_end_of_the_record": false,
  "starting_at": "2024-09-24T10:43:00Z",
  "values": [
    {
      "published_at": "2024-09-24T10:43:00Z",
      "published_every": "Every minute",
      "random_value": "6CA50557C212E8938F9B4D0A936553851A323571631AAFFA6414ACE9982D8CB2A1B0D0A0BF18B64355C795E2409247CA85E474B30C7516D1523E13A775275AC8",
      "record_url": "https://beacon.nist.gov/beacon/2.0/chain/2/pulse/1000000",
      "series": 2,
      "signed_with_certificate": "e692b0f6b208322ac84c963e167245f6356c21f31fa95274b25e92329510b5a210d5179afb6ee25e12dd9fc2691f49ed778d9a709aa3c2ea0f3ff2eaf8c47a62",
      "status": "Normal",
      "value_number": 1000000
    },
    {
      "published_at": "2024-09-24T10:44:00Z",
      "published_every": "Every minute",
      "random_value": "8B2FE4C4D1D1B6E0F9E2A9B4C1D0E7F3A2B1C0D9E8F7A6B5C4D3E2F1A0B9C8D7E6F5A4B3C2D1E0F9A8B7C6D5E4F3A2B1C0D9E8F7A6B5C4D3E2F1A0B9C8D7E6F5",
      "record_url": "https://beacon.nist.gov/beacon/2.0/chain/2/pulse/1000001",
      "series": 2,
      "signed_with_certificate": "e692b0f6b208322ac84c963e167245f6356c21f31fa95274b25e92329510b5a210d5179afb6ee25e12dd9fc2691f49ed778d9a709aa3c2ea0f3ff2eaf8c47a62",
      "status": "Normal",
      "value_number": 1000001
    }
  ]
}

NIST Randomness Beacon

ActionsCopy Anchor Link

Check a published valueCopy Anchor Link

Inputs

Outputs

Draw from a listCopy Anchor Link

Inputs

Outputs

Get a random value by its numberCopy Anchor Link

Inputs

Outputs

Get NIST's signing certificateCopy Anchor Link

Inputs

Outputs

Get the latest random valueCopy Anchor Link

Inputs

Outputs

Get the random value for a timeCopy Anchor Link

Inputs

Outputs

List the values published from a timeCopy Anchor Link

Inputs

Outputs

On this page

Actions

Check a published value

Draw from a list

Get a random value by its number

Get NIST's signing certificate

Get the latest random value

Get the random value for a time

List the values published from a time