**Usage**: `new PublicKey(data, extra)`  
**Description**:Instantiate a PublicKey from a PrivateKey, Point, `string`, or `Buffer`.

| parameters           | type    | required | Description                                                 |
| -------------------- | ------- | -------- | ----------------------------------------------------------- |
| **data**             | String  | yes      | The encoded data in various formats                         |
| **extra**            | Object  | no       | additional options                                          |
| **extra.network**    | Object  | no       | Which network should the address for this public key be for |
| **extra.compressed** | Boolean | no       | If the public key is compressed                             |

**Returns**: {PublicKey} A new instance of a PublicKey

## PublicKey.fromPrivateKey(privkey)

**Description**: Instantiate a PublicKey from a private key

**Parameters**:

| parameters  | type  | required | Description               |
| ----------- | ----- | -------- | ------------------------- |
| **privkey** | Point | yes      | An instance of PrivateKey |

**Returns**: {PublicKey} A new valid instance of PublicKey

## PublicKey.fromDER(buf, strict)

**Description**: Instantiate a PublicKey from a DER buffer

**Parameters**:

| parameters     | type    | required | Description                                  |
| -------------- | ------- | -------- | -------------------------------------------- |
| **buf**        | Buffer  | yes      | A DER hex buffer                             |
| **compressed** | Boolean | no       | if set to false, will loosen some conditions |

**Returns**: {PublicKey} A new valid instance of PublicKey

## PublicKey.fromPoint(point, compressed)

**Description**: Instantiate a PublicKey from an X Point

**Parameters**:

| parameters     | type    | required | Description                                           |
| -------------- | ------- | -------- | ----------------------------------------------------- |
| **point**      | Point   | yes      | A Point instance                                      |
| **compressed** | Boolean | no       | whether to store this public key as compressed format |

**Returns**: {PublicKey} A new valid instance of PublicKey

## PublicKey.fromString(str, encoding)

**Description**: Instantiate a PublicKey from a Buffer

**Parameters**:

| parameters   | type   | required | Description                 |
| ------------ | ------ | -------- | --------------------------- |
| **str**      | String | yes      | A DER hex string            |
| **encoding** | String | no       | The type of string encoding |

**Returns**: {PublicKey} A new valid instance of PublicKey

## PublicKey.fromX(odd, x)

**Description**: Instantiate a PublicKey from an X Point

**Parameters**:

| parameters | type    | required | Description                               |
| ---------- | ------- | -------- | ----------------------------------------- |
| **odd**    | Boolean | yes      | If the point is above or below the x axis |
| **x**      | Point   | yes      | The x point                               |

**Returns**: {PublicKey} A new valid instance of PublicKey

## PublicKey.getValidationError(data)

**Description**: Check if there would be any errors when initializing a PublicKey

**Parameters**:

| parameters | type   | required | Description                         |
| ---------- | ------ | -------- | ----------------------------------- |
| **data**   | String | yes      | The encoded data in various formats |

**Returns**: {null|Error} An error if exists

## PublicKey.isValid(data)

**Description**: Check if the parameters are valid

**Parameters**:

| parameters | type   | required | Description                         |
| ---------- | ------ | -------- | ----------------------------------- |
| **data**   | String | yes      | The encoded data in various formats |

**Returns**: {Boolean} If the public key would be valid

## .toAddress(network)

**Description**: Will output the PublicKey to a DER encoded hex string

**Parameters**:

| parameters  | type           | required | Description                             |
| ----------- | -------------- | -------- | --------------------------------------- |
| **network** | String/Network | yes      | Which network should the address be for |

**Returns**: {Address} An address generated from the public key

## .toDER()

**Description**: Will output the PublicKey to a DER Buffer

**Parameters**: None.

**Returns**: {Buffer} A DER hex encoded buffer

## .toBuffer()

**Description**: Will return a buffer representation of the public key

**Parameters**: None.

**Returns**: {Buffer} A buffer of the public key

## .toObject() / .toJSON()

**Description**: Will return an object representation of the public key

**Parameters**: None.

**Returns**: {Object} A plain object with the public key properties

## .toString()

**Description**: Will output the PublicKey to a DER encoded hex string

**Parameters**: None.

**Returns**: {string} A DER hex encoded string

## .inspect()

**Description**: Will return a string formatted for the console

**Parameters**: None.

**Returns**: {string} Public Key hex representation

```js
const publicKey = new PublicKey(...);
publicKey.toInspect() // <PublicKey: 041ff0fe0f7b15ffaa....>
```