|
Title: How come nobody generates an existing Private key Post by: yona on March 21, 2013, 06:20:54 PM So, maybe I am a missing something here but how come nobody generates an existing Private key [by chance/mistake] and gets access to an existing wallet?
i know it's a one in a zillion chance [or even less] but even so, does it not make it a little less safe? and the more people use bitcoins and more wallets and keys they use, does this chance not grow? Title: Re: How come nobody generates an existing Private key Post by: totaleclipseofthebank on March 21, 2013, 06:22:51 PM https://en.bitcoin.it/wiki/Weaknesses#Generating_tons_of_addresses
Title: Re: How come nobody generates an existing Private key Post by: yona on March 21, 2013, 06:33:27 PM thanks for the quick reply totaleclipseofthebank
so can i gather a collision between keys [addresses] is possible but not probable? Title: Re: How come nobody generates an existing Private key Post by: DannyHamilton on March 21, 2013, 06:40:30 PM thanks for the quick reply totaleclipseofthebank so can i gather a collision between keys [addresses] is possible but not probable? This depends on what you mean by "possible". The human mind seems to have a difficult time understanding just how "big" really big numbers are. Would you say it is "possible but not probable" that you will "be struck by lightning while taking a crap every year for 17 years in a row (https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=104461.msg1315279#msg1315279)"? Title: Re: How come nobody generates an existing Private key Post by: yona on March 21, 2013, 08:31:26 PM here is a post dealing with the question:
https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=104461.0 (https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=104461.0) guess this has been discussed. possible but extremely not probable... :) guess i will sleep better now. Title: Re: How come nobody generates an existing Private key Post by: DannyHamilton on March 21, 2013, 08:51:17 PM here is a post dealing with the question: https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=104461.0 (https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=104461.0) That would be a link to the exact same discussion I linked to already? guess this has been discussed. Yes. Many times in the past four years. Title: Re: How come nobody generates an existing Private key Post by: blub on March 21, 2013, 09:09:21 PM 99.99%
Title: Re: How come nobody generates an existing Private key Post by: DannyHamilton on March 21, 2013, 09:11:53 PM But what is the probability that it will be discussed again? 1 - x Where x is the odds of a collision while generating truly random private keys. Title: Re: How come nobody generates an existing Private key Post by: Peter Lambert on March 21, 2013, 09:12:46 PM But what is the probability that it will be discussed again? 1 - x Where x is the odds of a collision while generating truly random private keys. Beautiful response. |