Uses for X.509 signed exchange rate data

[eMansipater]

So...I have it on good authority that http://virtual-notary.org/ will soon be adding Mt Gox USD/BTC to the list of exchange rates they "notarize".  Their hash chaining method (which they also publish to the blockchain every 24 hours) is sufficient to defend against rewriting of historical data, and by attaching the Cornell name to the project, they incur a nontrivial "reputation bond" against insider manipulation of data (though of course no one is immune to a breach).  What interesting things can be built with a comparatively trustworthy 3rd-party source of exchange rate data?

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[Mike Hearn]

It can be useful for FX bets mediated by a third party, like an oracle.

I'd like to see this kind of thing be done via an extension to SSL that lets the server sign a running hash of the traffic though. It's much more general.

[eMansipater]

I'd like to see this kind of thing be done via an extension to SSL that lets the server sign a running hash of the traffic though. It's much more general.

This would be fantastic.  Imagine having a signed hash of any content on an any ssl webpage.  Then we could finally make use of all this certificate infrastructure for smart contracts.  Couple it with Eli Ben-Sasson's SCIP and you could have tiny transactions with fulfilment conditions that reference almost anything on the web!