Bitcoin Forum

TheButton

English isn't my primary language, so be patient ::) ;D


I had this idea in August of the past year (2015), where I work now.
I was trying to find a way to make it on Bitcoin, but there where some problems.
Maybe you can try to think to relieve/avoid some of them.

I write it here now because there now there is the first implementation: http://lastis.me / https://github.com/lastisme/lastisme.github.io
I didn't create it but someone else that has read my idea where I work. Lastis.me is completely trustless, but on Ethereum.



Premise
I had the idea after I saw what Reddit did a little while ago:
https://www.reddit.com/r/thebutton
It is possible to find a video here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ox4O2vT3csg
The idea is to create something similar in Bitcoin.
There is also the source code of the version of Reddit:
https://github.com/reddit/reddit-plugin-thebutton


Description:
The button is well visible on the website, and it is needed to push it to reset the countdown.
To enable the button, the user needs to deposit a minimum amount of Bitcoin.
The website needs to start by giving a little amount of Bitcoin as a prize.
The deposits sent by the users will increase this prize.
The last user that has clicked the button / reset the countdown will win this prize. (if the countdown finishes)


Rules:
The game will accept zero-confirmation tx, with a minimum of fee. (this is the first problem. Double spend)
There will be no registration, the user will arrive on the website and will find a personal bitcoin address to deposit (o just by making a click)
The address needs to be linked to a cookie / or special link/password.
It must be defined that the winner will need to get one or more confirmations for his transaction to be able to get the prize. (this isn't enough to fix the double spend problem, maybe it isn't possible to make it working with zero-confirmation tx)


Times:
At the first start of the website, the countdown needs to be of 24 hours.
It will be not possible to click the button on the first 23 hours and 50 minutes. ( to create some hype :) )
The button will enable itself only at the last 10 minutes. (everything should be written on the website)

The countdown need to be not too little, because then it will not leave enough time to the players to prepare the transaction in the case that he is just arrived to the website.
It must be not so long, because it can remove the incentive to participate, by knowing that anyone will be able to reset the countdown without any hurry.

The idea is to use as the countdown time (every time an user will click the button), the average time that the bitcoin user (that know how to use it) needs to read the simple instructions on the website, open the wallet and making the transaction.
So it's good to consider even the "average" time to insert the 2FA of google authenticator or similar.

It's good that it must be not less then 30 seconds, but also not more than 2 minutes.


It should create a situation where the countdown will be reset many times, for many days, maybe months!
So many times, to grow prize more and more!
So many times to make the people speak about it (how much is big the prize) around and on the socials.


Incentives:
There is needed a counter of the users on the page.
There is needed also a counter of the bitcoin deposited with zero confirmations (it the same first problem that need to be fixed)

Both are needed to make the user noticing that there are other users that are watching the countdown/button, and they can be there to push the button and reset the countdown at anytime.


Social:
- The service can have a chat.
- It can be possible to set a nick for the user account. If the user wants to maintain it, he must register, and it will still be needed only the email.
- The registration should always be optional.
- The nickname of the winner should be "spammed" on all the socials (facebook, twitter ...)
- There can be a history of the winners


Referral:
The referent could take a part of the deposited bitcoin and/or a part of the prize if one of his referred users will be the winner.


Problems and or solutions?
If the tx will be double spent, the sender address and the receiver address should be banned from the website.
Tx must be accepted only by addresses that have bitcoin by more than one week (or more)
Even the IP can be banned by X time.

Idea: The button can be the ReCaptcha (https://www.google.com/recaptcha/intro/index.html) button of Google.

Maybe all exit node of Tor should be banned, and other proxy/vpn. (it doesn't seem a good solution)

Kind of a neat idea for a game to be honest.. Although as you have mentioned the doublespend problem needs addressed.

Hopefully no one scoops your Idea... I know this place is sort of a thieves pit for ideas and development.

This is unique but I think the wait for 24 hours is too long for a game. Some people prefer to play fast. Maybe decrease the waiting time at some point?

It is just at the start, the first time that the website will open, then the countdown time will be as I wrote:
"It's good that it must be not less then 30 seconds, but also not more than 2 minutes."

It is just to show that the button will enable to be pushed after 23 hours and 50 minutes, the first time that the website will open to the public.

ah I see. I didn't fully understand that part. thanks for clarifying.
I hope your game came online soon. It's nice to have new ideas every now and then.

IIRC there have been similar websites where the last deposit gets the pot.

Yes, something like as "Gem" or a like, but as I remember correctly, they didn't work on this way.

Yes, they didn't work as described in the OP, essentially the transaction alone would do what the button does in the OP. I searched a little and found http://fishbitfish.com/redvsgreen/ which seems to be one such site, although I remember that there used to be more.

@MRKLYE
The idea is free to use, it will be enough to remember me as author.

It will be nice to make game like this with button on satoshis who will press neared 60seconds that will win ....satoshis. Or faucet with that button if you press for example 59.00 you got 1k satoshis if 59.24 you got 200satoshsi, if 60seconds you got 2k satoshis. Something like this. It will be nice faucet I think.

I would really like to see a working site with this, seems like a very neat concept.

I am web dev and if you have the right amount of time and bitcoin i can make it reality

How do you prevent botting ?

If there will be bot, this isn't a problem, welcome to bots wars :)
Still, bots haven't unlimited money.

This isn't a skill game.

Oh looks like a nice idea.
Seems like would be a fun project to work on.

I am sure I have seen that live at least twice. I don't remember the url. Game was off-chain. 1 or 3 confirmation on deposit. Player has to buy tokens to bid. First bid was free or had a low price, a token cost 0.005, and a fifty cost 0.2 or so. Last player to bid get 50%, second last 25% and third 15%. House takes 10%. (it may have been 50:20:10:20) I highly suspected the owner had some bot running. The pool usually ended with tens of bitcoins. Quite unreal.

A deposit is needed to enable the button  ;)

This is really good idea, but will be hard to implement, even in new website due to advertising - new websites nowadays need a lot of advertising. And especially this gambling idea need webpage with a lot of visitors.  ;)

But a bot could be made to make the deposit?

Yea, neat idea... but where does the skill part come in? Who validates the timing? If I grasp the concept correctly, it is more based on luck

than anything else.  ::) Would it not be better, if you only have 2 people playing against each other, to eliminate a third party? At least

that way, the button press prediction cannot be manipulated by any party.  ??? {Going to read through this again.. }

I like your idea. Hope someone can make it happen to check it out :)

How does the site owner make money?

It takes like 1% of the winning every time.

I really, really like this idea. I would be open to forming a partnership with you and paying for some of the expenses. Have you found a developer that could create this kind of a website?

EDIT: Is it possible to show players the game is fair and funds will be released if somebody wins?

Someone has made it :)

http://www.bombercoin.com/

I had a similar idea years ago when I first saw bitcoin and I finally made it here http://www.bombercoin.com (http://www.bombercoin.com)

Looks great. My hat off to you. Care to comment on how the site is going?

https://satoshistack.cash

On Bitcoin Cash :)