Release info from ScriptPubKey

[EANX]

I need to get the information contained in ScriptPubKey to get bitcoins transferred into my wallet.  I am not a programmer. I have this information: To address and ScriptPubKey.  I also have the information from block explorer.  Will Bitcoin do this? How?

Thanks!

[andytoshi]

Where did you hear the phrase 'scriptPubKey'? This contains the lowlevel bitcoin script used for transactions, but generally there is no need to know what exactly is in it. However, if you really want to, it's all publically available on the blockchain. (I believe blockchain.info will give you the hex values, which might be easier than poking around with bitcoind.)

You can translate the raw binary data into a human-understandable form by checking the relevant wiki page:
https://en.bitcoin.it/wiki/Script

Standard address-to-address transactions all have the same template, as given on that page:
scriptPubKey: OP_DUP OP_HASH160 <pubKeyHash> OP_EQUALVERIFY OP_CHECKSIG
scriptSig: <sig> <pubKey>

Hope this helps.

[Foxpup]

I am not a programmer.

In that case, there is absolutely no reason why you need to know about this, and also no way you could make use of the information if you did. Whatever gave you the idea that you need to be messing with this stuff?

I have this information: To address and ScriptPubKey.

The "to address" is the information in ScriptPubKey. If this is your address, the coins are already in your wallet, and you do not need to do anything to transfer them (if they are not in your wallet, the problem is with your wallet, not ScriptPubKey). If it is not your address, the coins aren't yours, and you cannot transfer them under any circumstances.

[EANX]

Thanks to you two.  As I understand from the wiki:

"A script is essentially a list of instructions recorded with each transaction that describe how the next person wanting to spend the Bitcoins being transferred can gain access to them. The script for a typical Bitcoin transfer to destination Bitcoin address D simply encumbers future spending of the bitcoins with two things: the spender must provide
a public key that, when hashed, yields destination address D embedded in the script, and
a signature to show evidence of the private key corresponding to the public key just provided."

I am the "next person in liner" in this transaction. I purchased some bitcoins through a zipzap transaction, zipzap sent them to an address that is holding them until I prove that I own them.  I need to know how to get the info in the signature necessary to have them released to me.  At this point, nobody knows my public key so I need to do whatever is required by the instructions in the ScriptPubKey.

Its tough to be a newbie again.  Anyway, I am familiar with PGP, but this works differently, I think.

[DannyHamilton]

. . . I purchased some bitcoins through a zipzap transaction, zipzap sent them to an address that is holding them until I prove that I own them . . .

Where did zipzap get this address?  Did you provide it to them?  If so, where did you get the address?

I need to know how to get the info in the signature necessary to have them released to me.  At this point, nobody knows my public key so I need to do whatever is required by the instructions in the ScriptPubKey.

Generally bitcoin users use a bitcoin client program commonly called a wallet.  This program takes care of all these internals for you.  It generates a random private key, it then uses ECDSA  with the secp256k1 curve to compute the the public key from that private key.  Then it computes a SHA-256 hash of the pubilc key, and a RIPEMD-160 hash of that result.  It tacks on a version byte and 4 checksum bytes and encodes the whole thing using Base58Check encoding.  The result of that encoding is the "bitcoin address".

So, to spend access the bitcoins you have to have the private key (which you would use both to compute the public key and provide the appropriate signature).  The only person who should have access to that private key is the person who generated the bitcoin address.  If a bitcoin wallet was used to generate the bitcoin address, then the wallet program will have stored that private key internally and hidden it from you.  You would either need to use the wallet to access the bitcoins, or you would need to export the private key from the wallet.  If you generated the address in some other manner and did not record the private key, then you will not be able to access those bitcoins.

[EANX]

Where did zipzap get this address?  Did you provide it to them?  If so, where did you get the address?

Zipzap provided it.

I am familiar with the normal operations of a wallet, but this has me scratching my head  in great puzzlement.  I would not be too concerned if there were not $500 of mine at stake.

Ray

[DannyHamilton]

Zipzap provided it.

I am familiar with the normal operations of a wallet, but this has me scratching my head  in great puzzlement.  I would not be too concerned if there were not $500 of mine at stake.

I'm really not sure what zipzap service you've used or what they've provided you with.  If they've loaded up a bitcoin address with some bitcoins, and you aren't the one who provided them with that address, then you can't access the bitcoins unless they provide you with the private key.

[EANX]

At least you are making me feel better. Zipzap provided me with an account number, that account number led to the transaction, the transaction led me to bitcoin block explorer.  


Short link: http://blockexplorer.com/t/YJfsmJEdK

    Hash?: xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
    Appeared in block 1 (xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx)
    Number of inputs?: 1 (Jump to inputs)
    Total BTC in?: 50
    Number of outputs: 1 (Jump to outputs)
    Total BTC out?: 50
    Size?: 134 bytes
    Fee?: 0
    Raw transaction?

Inputs?
Previous output (index)?   Amount?   From address?   Type?   ScriptSig?
 N/A                                   50 + fees    N/A                 Generation      xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx   

Outputs?
Index?   Redeemed at input?   Amount?   To address?   Type?   ScriptPubKey?
0    Not yet redeemed             50    xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx    Pubkey    xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx OP_CHECKSIG


I am new, but it looks like these are brand new bitcoins (Generated)  There appears to be no from address (in the inputs NA.)

Bitcoin Block Explorer (Mirror ad: VPN Service) - Donate: 1Cvvr8AsCfbbVQ2xoWiFD1Gb2VRbGsEf28

[DeathAndTaxes]

Appeared in block 1?  You sure someone isn't pulling your leg.  You do understand that output address was a coinbase reward to Satoshi over four years ago.  

Also zipzap doesn't handle Bitcoin sales or transactions.  They are a cash deposit serviced used by a couple of Bitcoin exchanges.  You sure it was ZipZap?  http://www.zipzapinc.com/

Something isn't adding up.

[EANX]

Short link: https://blockexplorer.com/b/1

    Block 1

Hash?: xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
    Previous block?: xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
    Next block?: xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
    Time?: xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
    Difficulty?: 1 ("Bits"?: xxxxxx)
    Transactions?: 1
    Total BTC?: xx
    Size?: 215
    Merkle root  xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
    Nonce?: xxxxxxxxxxxx
    Raw block?

Transactions


Gosh, I don't want to step on toes or egos, but block 1 it is.  The above is block one of the transaction; block zero is the generation of the coins. This is the official record of the block that contains the transaction.  I have been ripped off before, and I will be again, but not this time.

[DannyHamilton]

Short link: https://blockexplorer.com/b/1

    Block 1

Hash?: xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
    Previous block?: xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
    Next block?: xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
    Time?: xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
    Difficulty?: 1 ("Bits"?: xxxxxx)
    Transactions?: 1
    Total BTC?: xx
    Size?: 215
    Merkle root  xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
    Nonce?: xxxxxxxxxxxx
    Raw block?

Transactions


Gosh, I don't want to step on toes or egos, but block 1 it is.  The above is block one of the transaction; block zero is the generation of the coins. This is the official record of the block that contains the transaction.  I have been ripped off before, and I will be again, but not this time.

I'm not sure who you are dealing with, but it is starting to sound like a scam.  While the person providing you with this information might have had you use zipzap to pay them, it certainly isn't zipzap that you were dealing with and provided you with this information.  If the person you were dealing with represented themselves as zipzap they were most likely lying.

You can see here that the bitcoins you are linking to were minted on 2009-01-09.
http://blockchain.info/tx-index/2/0e3e2357e806b6cdb1f70b54c3a3a17b6714ee1f0e68bebb44a74b1efd512098

They were the first spendable bitcoins ever mined, were mined by Satoshi himself, and have never been spent since being minted.  Unless you were dealing with Satoshi directly, nobody else would have the ability to assign these coins to you.  I highly doubt that Satoshi has suddenly decided to just sell off the first spendable bitcoins ever mined at current market bitcoin prices.


Looking here:

http://blockchain.info/address/12c6DSiU4Rq3P4ZxziKxzrL5LmMBrzjrJX

You will see that address actually currently has 50.02002674 total unspent coins associated with it as various individuals have sent small amounts of bitcoins to this address as a way of donating to Satoshi.

[EANX]

Well, I am a newbie, it is why I am asking.  However, if I started tossing around names, like ... Phil Zimmerman told me.. I am not supposed to know this stuff, and I don't.  I can't help but thinking that the effort to fake this transaction would far exceed any potential gain.

[DannyHamilton]

Well, I am a newbie, it is why I am asking.  However, if I started tossing around names, like ... Phil Zimmerman told me.. I am not supposed to know this stuff, and I don't.  I can't help but thinking that the effort to fake this transaction would far exceed any potential gain.

I have no idea what sort of transaction you were involved in.  I can only tell you that I'm certain that you will not be able to access the bitcoins that are indicated in the link that you posted.  Whether or not the effort to fake the transaction would exceed any potential gain will depend a lot on the particulars of the transaction, but it certainly seems that they other party of your transaction felt that it was worth the effort.

[Walter Rothbard]

I don't think you've been scammed.  I think you are just making something way more complicated.  Did you try to buy bitcoins using ZipZap?  With whom were you communicating?  Were you trying to use bitinstant.com?

If you can provide a little more higher-level detail about what's going on, we can probably help you.

Do you have the bitcoin client installed?

Were you trying to obtain bitcoins?

If you were trying to obtain bitcoins, typically you would provide an address for those coins to be transferred to.  The address would come from your wallet, from your bitcoin client.  Or you might be using an online wallet such as blockchain.info or coinbase.com and you would provide an address from that wallet.

Then, to spend the bitcoins, you would simply use the wallet (whether online wallet or bitcoin client wallet) to send funds.  You wouldn't need to worry about script pub keys and proving you own the coins and all the details you are talking about; although they are useful for understanding the mechanics and security of the bitcoin system, they are not at all necessary details for a casual receiver and spender of bitcoins.

[Walter Rothbard]

Appeared in block 1?  You sure someone isn't pulling your leg.  You do understand that output address was a coinbase reward to Satoshi over four years ago.

I think he's just found that page in his searches and its unrelated to his purchase; I don't believe anyone's trying to tell him they sent him the bitcoins generated in block 1.

It sounds like he sent $500 to somebody (bitinstant?) through ZipZap trying to buy bitcoins but doesn't have a wallet or know how to spend bitcoins, and in trying to research how to spend bitcoins he's gotten into low-level details that are irrelevant for his real question of how does he spend them.