Why Is the Public Key Derived from the Private Key, and Not Vice Versa?

The public key is mathematically derived from the private key using a one-way function called Elliptic Curve Digital Signature Algorithm (ECDSA). This is a crucial security feature because it allows the public key to be shared widely for receiving funds and verifying signatures without compromising the private key.

Because the derivation is one-way, it is computationally infeasible to reverse the process and calculate the private key from the public key.