Bitcoin Cipher/puzzle - 0.56 Prize ! Bitcoins [SOLVED]

[achow101]

Another hint for combatants who are struggling like me: most of the chars in #10 are sitting in the checksum part of the B58 private key.

I'm looking at https://en.bitcoin.it/wiki/Wallet_import_format and don't see you can take advantage of that fact.
Don't you have to decode the base58 first before you can remove the 4 byte checksum?

Better reference: https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=304645.msg3270248#msg3270248

This site here: https://gobittest.appspot.com/PrivateKey is actually quite useful for doing this. It also does everything step by step so you can understand the process.

[1715457217]

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[1715457217]

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[1715457217]

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[1715457217]

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[dalek]

Another hint for combatants who are struggling like me: most of the chars in #10 are sitting in the checksum part of the B58 private key.

I'm looking at https://en.bitcoin.it/wiki/Wallet_import_format and don't see you can take advantage of that fact.
Don't you have to decode the base58 first before you can remove the 4 byte checksum?

Better reference: https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=304645.msg3270248#msg3270248

This site here: https://gobittest.appspot.com/PrivateKey is actually quite useful for doing this. It also does everything step by step so you can understand the process.

It's just an interactive version, but it still doesn't explain how you can ignore the checksum without first decoding the entire base58 string. On a few tests with random keys, using the technique shown in the 2nd link I posted, the checksum characters on average affect the last 6 characters of the wif, but I did find a key that affected the last 9 characters.

[achow101]

Another hint for combatants who are struggling like me: most of the chars in #10 are sitting in the checksum part of the B58 private key.

I'm looking at https://en.bitcoin.it/wiki/Wallet_import_format and don't see you can take advantage of that fact.
Don't you have to decode the base58 first before you can remove the 4 byte checksum?

Better reference: https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=304645.msg3270248#msg3270248

This site here: https://gobittest.appspot.com/PrivateKey is actually quite useful for doing this. It also does everything step by step so you can understand the process.

It's just an interactive version, but it still doesn't explain how you can ignore the checksum without first decoding the entire base58 string. On a few tests with random keys, using the technique shown in the 2nd link I posted, the checksum characters on average affect the last 6 characters of the wif, but I did find a key that affected the last 9 characters.

You can't ignore the checksum without first decoding it. By converting it to base58 from base256 the last digits will be different and with each key it varies so it is not possible to know the checksum without decoding the base58

[spazzdla]

The intellegence in this thread intimidates me lol.

[NorrisK]

The intellegence in this thread intimidates me lol.

Quite a few of the puzzles are also just taking a step back and looking carefully. The ISBN number for instance, if you took notice of the numbers on the books you read, it was easy to spot where to look. The same goes for the morse code.

I agree though, some of the puzzles went way over my head too

[MF Doom]

The intellegence in this thread intimidates me lol.

then head over to the speculation forum, the blind predictions will recoup your intellectualism

[HugoTheSpider]

Another hint for combatants who are struggling like me: most of the chars in #10 are sitting in the checksum part of the B58 private key.

I'm looking at https://en.bitcoin.it/wiki/Wallet_import_format and don't see you can take advantage of that fact.
Don't you have to decode the base58 first before you can remove the 4 byte checksum?

Correct.

I know of two approaches to brute force crack a private key if some of the unknown characters are on the end:

Approach #1: Checking against checksum
1. Assemble your guess as a WIF string (base58)
2. Then do a base58_decode which outputs a 1+32+4=37 byte (1 extra byte when compressed but this puzzle has an uncompressed key).
3. Then re-calculate the checksum
4. If it matches, alert, else goto 1.
Chance of a false positive: 1:2³²

Approach #2: Check against hash160 (this is the way I go)
1. Split your guesses in many batches
2. Assemble the first guess in the batch as a base58 string
3. Then do a base58_decode which outputs a 37 or 38 byte binary
4. Take byte #1 to #32 (counting from #0) and load it into your EC library (yes, you can ignore the checksum here)
5. Do an EC point multiplication p=G*k where p=public key, G=base point and k=your first guess
6. If ripemd160(sha256(p)) matches target, alert and stop
7. Do an EC point addition p=p+G and goto 6. until 58ⁿ/2³² repetitions has been made. n is the number of characters missing at the end
8. Open a new batch and goto 2

Approach #2 has advantages if #10 is unknown because large parts of #10 are sitting in the checksum. When directly dealing with the internal binary representation of the private key using EC math, you're "skipping" all possible invalid WIF private key combinations at once.
Approach #1 could be the better choice if you're sure that you have #10 correct.

Currently I don't do any bruteforce anymore because I ran out of ideas for #9. As soon I get new clues, I'll resume my bruteforce.


Note:
Some peoples asked for code (here/PM):
I'm handing out this hint for free but you have to do the coding work yourself. I'm fearing getting deanonymized if uploading my code here because it heavyly relies on code from other projects made by me.

[Sarthak]

Finally some free time 

Starting to work onto it 

[Yerm]

Another hint for combatants who are struggling like me: most of the chars in #10 are sitting in the checksum part of the B58 private key.

I'm looking at https://en.bitcoin.it/wiki/Wallet_import_format and don't see you can take advantage of that fact.
Don't you have to decode the base58 first before you can remove the 4 byte checksum?

Correct.

I know of two approaches to brute force crack a private key if some of the unknown characters are on the end:

Approach #1: Checking against checksum
1. Assemble your guess as a WIF string (base58)
2. Then do a base58_decode which outputs a 1+32+4=37 byte (1 extra byte when compressed but this puzzle has an uncompressed key).
3. Then re-calculate the checksum
4. If it matches, alert, else goto 1.
Chance of a false positive: 1:2³²

Approach #2: Check against hash160 (this is the way I go)
1. Split your guesses in many batches
2. Assemble the first guess in the batch as a base58 string
3. Then do a base58_decode which outputs a 37 or 38 byte binary
4. Take byte #1 to #32 (counting from #0) and load it into your EC library (yes, you can ignore the checksum here)
5. Do an EC point multiplication p=G*k where p=public key, G=base point and k=your first guess
6. If ripemd160(sha256(p)) matches target, alert and stop
7. Do an EC point addition p=p+G and goto 6. until 58ⁿ/2³² repetitions has been made. n is the number of characters missing at the end
8. Open a new batch and goto 2

Approach #2 has advantages if #10 is unknown because large parts of #10 are sitting in the checksum. When directly dealing with the internal binary representation of the private key using EC math, you're "skipping" all possible invalid WIF private key combinations at once.
Approach #1 could be the better choice if you're sure that you have #10 correct.

Currently I don't do any bruteforce anymore because I ran out of ideas for #9. As soon I get new clues, I'll resume my bruteforce.


Note:
Some peoples asked for code (here/PM):
I'm handing out this hint for free but you have to do the coding work yourself. I'm fearing getting deanonymized if uploading my code here because it heavyly relies on code from other projects made by me.

as a normal person who just tried reading that "woooow"

[trior]

The book is a road block for me without it I can't go any further .
I'm in a non English country .
English books are rare in bookshops  over here .
Ordering online take ages to deliver to my country .

As for brute forcing it's not fun at all.
And useless anyway at this stage especially if there is a reordering step.



5 days left till end of puzzle.
I hope the OP is preparing another one.

[hexafraction]

As for brute forcing it's not fun at all.
And useless anyway at this stage especially if there is a reordering step.

A reordering step isn't bad. A lightly optimized bruteforcer I wrote and was running on an anemic laptop managed to search 70*(10!) private keys for validity (although none were in fact valid).

[trior]

There are 15 missing characters with known letter casing.

Code:

2     1    3     4     5     6     7     8     9     10                
5Juu2 CkB3       EcyH9 dypNh DZ8fX gh6RQ wwbo5     6       E
           AAaAa                               __-_  -^^-^-       




Uc="ABCDEFGHJKLMNPQRSTUVWXYZ123456789" (33 char)
lc="abcdefghijkmnopqrstuvwxyz123456789" (34 char)

try brute forcing this number of keys  
                                                    
(33*33*34*33*34)  * (34*34*33*34) * (34*33*33*34*33*34) * (!9)


And on top of that the casing may change as seen in solved levels.

[Sarthak]

5 days left till end of puzzle.
I hope the OP is preparing another one.

The Puzzle won't end Don't worry about that!

[Yoshi24517]

Did we figure out #9 yet? Cause I really want some of this money.

[wearehatetherules]

i dont really understand with that encryption 
somebody can help me?

[faridkifly]

i have no idea to solve it.
maybe it because i haven't solved a puzzle like that 

[NorrisK]

i have no idea to solve it.
maybe it because i haven't solved a puzzle like that 

Of You read the earlier posts in This thread You can get an idea of the thought process behind solving the steps. You may learn a thing or two also!

[Sakarias-Corporation]

hey guys, i know it's past the 5th, but my internet is horrible at the moment, (currently moving) i will post a new hint soon !

[mrsalve]

Well one thing is sure. I'm not a spy. I had a look and I have absolutly no idea what it is or what to do with it.

[NorrisK]

hey guys, i know it's past the 5th, but my internet is horrible at the moment, (currently moving) i will post a new hint soon !

Any chance to get the hint? This puzzle has really proven to be quite challenging! Much kudo's to you for coming up with it