Bitcoins are the LEAST anonymous currency ever created

[drrussellshane]

Strongly agree with the title.

Even if I have my Bitcoin address in my signature, you can't prove that I actually own it unless you hack into my computer.

True if you don't  spend any. Once you do - out goes your identity.

How do you infer from a transaction being made from an address in a signature that the transaction actually was done by this person?!
If I would put there for example a MtGox address, it would be swiped but I'd never ever have owned the private key to it.

You will be only deanonymized for the address(es) that you use to pay a merchant from - and these can be from a mixing/proxy service.

Haha, idea!  Quick, everyone pick an address from the blockchain whose private key you do or don't own and post it in your sig.  Confuse OP.  

1PL8Xy3gb3GAuBCBjdMUoge67em6R7FXeL  <------ me?

12c6DSiU4Rq3P4ZxziKxzrL5LmMBrzjrJX

[proudhon]

Strongly agree with the title.

Even if I have my Bitcoin address in my signature, you can't prove that I actually own it unless you hack into my computer.

True if you don't  spend any. Once you do - out goes your identity.

How do you infer from a transaction being made from an address in a signature that the transaction actually was done by this person?!
If I would put there for example a MtGox address, it would be swiped but I'd never ever have owned the private key to it.

You will be only deanonymized for the address(es) that you use to pay a merchant from - and these can be from a mixing/proxy service.

Haha, idea!  Quick, everyone pick an address from the blockchain whose private key you do or don't own and post it in your sig.  Confuse OP.  

1PL8Xy3gb3GAuBCBjdMUoge67em6R7FXeL  <------ me?

12c6DSiU4Rq3P4ZxziKxzrL5LmMBrzjrJX

I'm gonna keep my eye on you.

[luv2drnkbr]

That's why you create a new address for every transaction.
And what mixers are for.

Care to prove that mixers don't log connections between accounts?

Because I can mix them myself...

[oakpacific]

Strongly agree with the title.

Even if I have my Bitcoin address in my signature, you can't prove that I actually own it unless you hack into my computer.

True if you don't  spend any. Once you do - out goes your identity.

How do you infer from a transaction being made from an address in a signature that the transaction actually was done by this person?!
If I would put there for example a MtGox address, it would be swiped but I'd never ever have owned the private key to it.

You will be only deanonymized for the address(es) that you use to pay a merchant from - and these can be from a mixing/proxy service.

Haha, idea!  Quick, everyone pick an address from the blockchain whose private key you do or don't own and post it in your sig.  Confuse OP.  

1PL8Xy3gb3GAuBCBjdMUoge67em6R7FXeL  <------ me?

12c6DSiU4Rq3P4ZxziKxzrL5LmMBrzjrJX

I'm gonna keep my eye on you.

I can even frame others up by putting their address in my signature.

Now you see it? I am proudhon, all his coins are mine.

[Ignore@YourPeril]

And it only works when a large swath of miners actually use it (you can't just use Zerocoin on your own account and expect it to protect you). This will be a long, slow process.

http://spar.isi.jhu.edu/~mgreen/ZerocoinOakland.pdf

I have tried to get the attention of the more competent coders in the alt-coin forum to my suggestion of an address-free blockchain of Zero-coins, but it is hard to get anyones attention around there as the whole forum has been cluttered by get-rich clone coin schemes. Here it is, I would appreciate any comment to my suggestion:

https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=202664.msg2135254#msg2135254

[Come-from-Beyond]

That's why you create a new address for every transaction.
And what mixers are for.

Care to prove that mixers don't log connections between accounts?

Because I can mix them myself...

Aye. That could work. Until u r put in a jail for money laundering.

[Come-from-Beyond]

I see not too many people understand what TOR is, who created it, why it was created, and how it can be used.

Privacy on the internet requires a bit of effort, but it is achievable. Any crypto currency can be completely anonymous if you understand how to conduct the transactions securely.

TOR won't help if u need to work with FIAT (aka buy and sell).

[drawingthesun]

Could someone implement zerocoin into the client and set a date for release?

If enough people use it then the developers will take it on board as the new main client... Is the implementation of zerocoin difficult?

Has a testnet of zerocoin been considered?

Making Bitcoin truly anonymous would be the last hurdle.

I say this because if a alt coin is released with a full implementation of zerocoin or something similar, then its likely that will be attractive enough to beat Bitcoin. I personally can not see any alt being good enough to ever replace Bitcoin because of the network effect. But a fully anonymous coin would be so much more useful to the world that it would be one of the few things that destroyed Bitcoin.

I would prefer Bitcoin to have this functionality ASAP before a competitor built it.

[interlagos]

I'm not sure that going completely anonymous is healthy for the society in general.
Would you like govt to use a system like ZeroCoin for their budget?

Bitcoin provides transparency for financial transactions where it is needed and allows for anonymity where it is desirable (with some effort).

Rather than hiding your transactions in a completely anonymous system because they are deemed "illegal", people of society should strive to change the definition of what's "legal" and tend to achieve this in an open and transparent way.

On the other hand, if technological feat is possible - man will do it. So we can imagine how systems like ZeroCoin might become a catalyst for changing our society's governing structure and reshaping its legal framework to prevent systems with complete anonymity from gaining momentum.

[Sukrim]

You do realize that Zerocoin requires more trust in a central authority than Bitcoin currently does? That alone will make it quite hard to be accepted into the bitcoin client. Also it probably requires a hard fork.

Feel free to play around with it on Testnet, but it is NOT a "just create some special transactions valid on current mainnet and you're magically anonymous" solution at all!

[drawingthesun]

You do realize that Zerocoin requires more trust in a central authority than Bitcoin currently does? That alone will make it quite hard to be accepted into the bitcoin client. Also it probably requires a hard fork.

Feel free to play around with it on Testnet, but it is NOT a "just create some special transactions valid on current mainnet and you're magically anonymous" solution at all!

From my reading the trusted part was 1 option to get the zerocoin system started and afterwards no third party would ever be needed.

However I agree that any third party at any point in unacceptable.

They mentioned a option that the system can be started and usable with no third party, but the main thing against the system is the large transaction size.

[Geez]

If I buy goods from someone then that person knows that I own the address from which I am sending, but if he doesn't publish that information then nobody can know it is me.

[buddrulez]

Bitcoins are pseudonymous, and ease of tax evasion isn't really on the list of features and benefits, so who cares?

I imagine most BTC holders have every intention of paying taxes on realized gains, so they aren't going to be subjected to forensic examination.

For those looking to buy on Silk Road or move money across borders, you have to admit that it's trivial to buy and sell BTC without revealing your identity. A few precautions and it's really not going to be an issue for those determined to cover their tracks.

Those who wish to remain anonymous will do so!