Are the NSA behind bitcoin and just who is Tatsuaki Okamoto? Read the NSA report

[nak]

Apologies if this has already been posted (I certainly haven't come across a topic on here) but I read an intriguing article today. The article talks about a report that originated from the NSA in 1996 talking about crypto currencies.

The article is here:
http://www.zengardner.com/is-the-national-security-agency-behind-bitcoin/

The report is here:
http://groups.csail.mit.edu/mac/classes/6.805/articles/money/nsamint/nsamint.htm

Interested to hear your thoughts...

[luv2drnkbr]

I believe they are on to something.  It looks like it might indeed be possible to make an entirely digital currency by utilizing some of the features of cryptography.

[2112]

The article is here:
http://www.zengardner.com/is-the-national-security-agency-behind-bitcoin/

There is some sort of combination Wordpress/Javascript/Java exploit being pushed by that site. It is just a single line of document.write() before even DOCTYPE html.

So yeah, visit with your guards set to high.

This is some non-deterministic exploit, disappears upon refresh. Anyway, I'm going to paste the main text here for the safety of our readers.

Is the National Security Agency Behind Bitcoin?
Friday, June 21st, 2013
by Anthony Migchels
Recently a 1996 NSA report surfaced, ‘predicting’ a crypto-cyber unit eerily close to Bitcoin. So eerily close, that, knowing their M.O., the question arises whether this report is a prediction, or a plan.

The report can be found here. I don’t know how long it has been circulating in the Alternative Media, but it seems it just surfaced. It is stunning. It looks very much like an architectural design of the kind of issues this cyber unit should solve. It is stunning not only because it so closely resembles the architecture of Bitcoin, but also since it so conspicuously avoids all the real problems with our monetary system, i.e. Usury, scarcity of money and the manipulation of volume.

If we look at similar ‘predictive’ reports on for instance population control, which have had such a major impact on the Truth community, we must conclude that this particular NSA report on crypto-cyber currencies looks more like a design than a prediction.

Meaning that Bitcoin just officially became a Money Power meme.

Bitcoin architecture
The NSA report goes deeply into the challenges a crypto currency faces and lists the various security and implicated regulatory risks. Both from the point of view from regulators and developers of such schemes.

Amazingly, a key writer of the report is called Tatsuaki Okamoto. In the Bitcoin community this has been picked up as remarkably similar to Satoshi Nakamoto, the pseudonym of the enigmatic developer of Bitcoin.

As we have been discussing, Bitcoin was designed to be scarce and deflationary. Interest-free credit is impossible with Bitcoin and this year we have seen wild trading in the cyber-unit, with a massive bubble and the unavoidable crash. Nonetheless, Bitcoin’s rate at this point is about $110 today, up from $5 November 2011. Its total market capitalization topped $1 billion at its peak and is still substantial.

Implications
An interesting issue is In-Q-Tel’s involvement. In-Q-Tel is the ‘not for profit’ investment arm of the CIA. Undoubtedly just another control mechanism. In-Q-Tel is investing or planning on investing in Bitcoin, presumably by buying some of them. The CIA has been involved in an extensive dialogue with Bitcoin people. It is unclear as to what this ‘dialogue’ amounts to, but obviously, combined with this shocking NSA paper, the whole thing looks pretty suspect.

So what are the bad guys up to? Are they creating a unit with which they can finance their international drug trade without risking money laundering in the banking industry, which is forced to be more and more transparent?

Perhaps it’s not for nothing that American legislators have shown alarm at the uncontrollable flow of funds?

Or is it all just a ruse to undermine free market currencies and regulate them to death, using Bitcoin as some sort of monetary false flag?

This latter scenario would explain the heavy handed and totalitarian way the DHS recently seized some account owned by Mt. Gox, the biggest Bitcoin exchange. Note the DHS is not some financial regulatory body, but the Gestapo itself.

Conclusion
Even today it’s too early to come to conclusions about Bitcoin. Perhaps it’s still a well-intentioned try, destined to failure by its faulty design, or destroyed by the agencies. Or it was designed from day one as a tool to help maintain control of the money supplies of the world.

But it is amazing how the NSA report addresses the ‘need’ for privacy with transactions as the main monetary issue, ignoring all the far, far more important problems we have with our money, and how Bitcoin answers exactly the challenge put forward.

Knowing the ways these people think and operate, this NSA report basically puts to rest the notion that Bitcoin was a completely innocent ‘free market’ or ‘human action’ kind of thing to begin with.

+++

[hous]

I think the NSA have bought all of Butterfly Labs Mini Rig's That's why there being so slow and out of stock!!!

[bluemeanie1]

this person has a number of really good videos about Bitcoin:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7fvSYT7vhQY

[Vanderi]

The article is here:
http://www.zengardner.com/is-the-national-security-agency-behind-bitcoin/

There is some sort of combination Wordpress/Javascript/Java exploit being pushed by that site. It is just a single line of document.write() before even DOCTYPE html.

So yeah, visit with your guards set to high.

This is some non-deterministic exploit, disappears upon refresh. Anyway, I'm going to paste the main text here for the safety of our readers.

Is the National Security Agency Behind Bitcoin?
Friday, June 21st, 2013
by Anthony Migchels
Recently a 1996 NSA report surfaced, ‘predicting’ a crypto-cyber unit eerily close to Bitcoin. So eerily close, that, knowing their M.O., the question arises whether this report is a prediction, or a plan.

The report can be found here. I don’t know how long it has been circulating in the Alternative Media, but it seems it just surfaced. It is stunning. It looks very much like an architectural design of the kind of issues this cyber unit should solve. It is stunning not only because it so closely resembles the architecture of Bitcoin, but also since it so conspicuously avoids all the real problems with our monetary system, i.e. Usury, scarcity of money and the manipulation of volume.

If we look at similar ‘predictive’ reports on for instance population control, which have had such a major impact on the Truth community, we must conclude that this particular NSA report on crypto-cyber currencies looks more like a design than a prediction.

Meaning that Bitcoin just officially became a Money Power meme.

Bitcoin architecture
The NSA report goes deeply into the challenges a crypto currency faces and lists the various security and implicated regulatory risks. Both from the point of view from regulators and developers of such schemes.

Amazingly, a key writer of the report is called Tatsuaki Okamoto. In the Bitcoin community this has been picked up as remarkably similar to Satoshi Nakamoto, the pseudonym of the enigmatic developer of Bitcoin.

As we have been discussing, Bitcoin was designed to be scarce and deflationary. Interest-free credit is impossible with Bitcoin and this year we have seen wild trading in the cyber-unit, with a massive bubble and the unavoidable crash. Nonetheless, Bitcoin’s rate at this point is about $110 today, up from $5 November 2011. Its total market capitalization topped $1 billion at its peak and is still substantial.

Implications
An interesting issue is In-Q-Tel’s involvement. In-Q-Tel is the ‘not for profit’ investment arm of the CIA. Undoubtedly just another control mechanism. In-Q-Tel is investing or planning on investing in Bitcoin, presumably by buying some of them. The CIA has been involved in an extensive dialogue with Bitcoin people. It is unclear as to what this ‘dialogue’ amounts to, but obviously, combined with this shocking NSA paper, the whole thing looks pretty suspect.

So what are the bad guys up to? Are they creating a unit with which they can finance their international drug trade without risking money laundering in the banking industry, which is forced to be more and more transparent?

Perhaps it’s not for nothing that American legislators have shown alarm at the uncontrollable flow of funds?

Or is it all just a ruse to undermine free market currencies and regulate them to death, using Bitcoin as some sort of monetary false flag?

This latter scenario would explain the heavy handed and totalitarian way the DHS recently seized some account owned by Mt. Gox, the biggest Bitcoin exchange. Note the DHS is not some financial regulatory body, but the Gestapo itself.

Conclusion
Even today it’s too early to come to conclusions about Bitcoin. Perhaps it’s still a well-intentioned try, destined to failure by its faulty design, or destroyed by the agencies. Or it was designed from day one as a tool to help maintain control of the money supplies of the world.

But it is amazing how the NSA report addresses the ‘need’ for privacy with transactions as the main monetary issue, ignoring all the far, far more important problems we have with our money, and how Bitcoin answers exactly the challenge put forward.

Knowing the ways these people think and operate, this NSA report basically puts to rest the notion that Bitcoin was a completely innocent ‘free market’ or ‘human action’ kind of thing to begin with.

+++

Thanks for the heads up brah.

[Its About Sharing]

Interesting and something we have to consider. I'll repeat here what I said in other threads - BTC is not THE answer, it is AN answer. We need to get away from centrally controlled fiat.
In the future, I really doubt money will be used as it is currently. We desperately will need more of a Star Trek model, it is actually inevitable. 

But, regarding using BTC to launder money via the drug trade:
First, they are not having much of a problem currently laundering money but more importantly
- I don't see drugs staying illegal for a whole lot longer. It is clear they are illegal as there is too much money to be made... for governments.
Make drugs legal and you just smack black budget money of the NSA/CIA, US and other large "governments" in the world.

[BitcoinFX]

Apologies if this has already been posted (I certainly haven't come across a topic on here) but I read an intriguing article today. The article talks about a report that originated from the NSA in 1996 talking about crypto currencies.

The article is here:
http://www.zengardner.com/is-the-national-security-agency-behind-bitcoin/

The report is here:
http://groups.csail.mit.edu/mac/classes/6.805/articles/money/nsamint/nsamint.htm

Interested to hear your thoughts...

As I've posted elsewhere...

Satoshi Nakamoto is unlikely to be one person.

However, Tatsuaki Okamoto was also present at most Financial Cryptography Conferences with Yossi Matias , Daniel A. Nagy and Moti Yung etc.

See my forum post here: Yossi Nagy Moti - Cryptovirology and Bitcoin - https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=206630.0

Just search for stuff like 'Financial Cryptography' , 'Conference Archives' and add these guys names. They were all there. 

[marcus_of_augustus]

These protocols all include a "Bank" (third-party) with blinding signature schemes, so are nothing like bitcoin. They are however like the Open Transactions layer that is proposed to go on top of bitcoin and provide privacy and instant clearing settlement via off-chain transactions.

Not Satoshi, on this evidence at least.

[bg002h]

This report was old news when it came out, presuming it was created in 1996. There were much more comprehensive reports in the civilian literature by at least 1999. The report mostly covers David Chaum's work on Digicash...which was publicly disclosed and only months away from being purchasable at the bank at that time (you could buy Digicash in 1997 at Mark Twain bank in Missouri)

The report lists several protocols, not a single one of which is in any way similar to Bitcoin. I question the OP's true motive given the document.write call and the truly misleading statements that the report is eery similar to Bitcoin.

OP, did you read the report? Are you trying to hack visitors? I think the constellation of findings warrants a comment from you.  You're input is needed.

[Patzek]

In my opinion you have a wrong understanding of how a huge organization like the NSA works.
Saying that the NSA have the resources to invent Bitcoin \ plans to perform a 51% attack on the network \ any other conspiracy theory, is part of that misunderstanding.

You should compare it to a commercial company, say Google. You cannot start a huge-costly project (Millions of $ is considered costly, as much as you think the NSA can spend whatever on whatever), while you're unable to prove it is profitable. For Google, profit is $, for the NSA, profit is either intelligence \ means to gather that intelligence \ projects of National security.

If you think about Bitcoin, it is neither.


The NSA can do research, it might try to see what's going on and even use it to its causes. But for what Bitcoin is now, it is not something a government agency would spend millions of $ for research so they might be  able to do something with it in the future.
No government is that efficient.
We're still in an age where the government will spend 100M easily for 1 aircraft, but will not invest even 10M to research and influence on a revolutionary, even questionable digital-technology

[bg002h]

In my opinion you have a wrong understanding of how a huge organization like the NSA works.
Saying that the NSA have the resources to invent Bitcoin \ plans to perform a 51% attack on the network \ any other conspiracy theory, is part of that misunderstanding.

You should compare it to a commercial company, say Google. You cannot start a huge-costly project (Millions of $ is considered costly, as much as you think the NSA can spend whatever on whatever), while you're unable to prove it is profitable. For Google, profit is $, for the NSA, profit is either intelligence \ means to gather that intelligence \ projects of National security.

If you think about Bitcoin, it is neither.


The NSA can do research, it might try to see what's going on and even use it to its causes. But for what Bitcoin is now, it is not something a government agency would spend millions of $ for research so they might be  able to do something with it in the future.
No government is that efficient.
We're still in an age where the government will spend 100M easily for 1 aircraft, but will not invest even 10M to research and influence on a revolutionary, even questionable digital-technology

Interestingly, DARPA funded some early research on digital payment schemes. Google Payword and Micromint.

[herzmeister]

Also:

The NSA, referencing the work from a cypherpunk?

=> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Embrace,_extend_and_extinguish

[Patzek]

In my opinion you have a wrong understanding of how a huge organization like the NSA works.
Saying that the NSA have the resources to invent Bitcoin \ plans to perform a 51% attack on the network \ any other conspiracy theory, is part of that misunderstanding.

You should compare it to a commercial company, say Google. You cannot start a huge-costly project (Millions of $ is considered costly, as much as you think the NSA can spend whatever on whatever), while you're unable to prove it is profitable. For Google, profit is $, for the NSA, profit is either intelligence \ means to gather that intelligence \ projects of National security.

If you think about Bitcoin, it is neither.


The NSA can do research, it might try to see what's going on and even use it to its causes. But for what Bitcoin is now, it is not something a government agency would spend millions of $ for research so they might be  able to do something with it in the future.
No government is that efficient.
We're still in an age where the government will spend 100M easily for 1 aircraft, but will not invest even 10M to research and influence on a revolutionary, even questionable digital-technology

Interestingly, DARPA funded some early research on digital payment schemes. Google Payword and Micromint.

It is interesting, but it has nothing to do with the NSA.

[BitBank]

In my opinion you have a wrong understanding of how a huge organization like the NSA works.
Saying that the NSA have the resources to invent Bitcoin \ plans to perform a 51% attack on the network \ any other conspiracy theory, is part of that misunderstanding.

You should compare it to a commercial company, say Google. You cannot start a huge-costly project (Millions of $ is considered costly, as much as you think the NSA can spend whatever on whatever), while you're unable to prove it is profitable. For Google, profit is $, for the NSA, profit is either intelligence \ means to gather that intelligence \ projects of National security.

If you think about Bitcoin, it is neither.


The NSA can do research, it might try to see what's going on and even use it to its causes. But for what Bitcoin is now, it is not something a government agency would spend millions of $ for research so they might be  able to do something with it in the future.
No government is that efficient.
We're still in an age where the government will spend 100M easily for 1 aircraft, but will not invest even 10M to research and influence on a revolutionary, even questionable digital-technology

^^ Thinks that government programs need to be profitable and/or useful in order to get funding...

 

[joesmoe2012]

In my opinion you have a wrong understanding of how a huge organization like the NSA works.
Saying that the NSA have the resources to invent Bitcoin \ plans to perform a 51% attack on the network \ any other conspiracy theory, is part of that misunderstanding.

You should compare it to a commercial company, say Google. You cannot start a huge-costly project (Millions of $ is considered costly, as much as you think the NSA can spend whatever on whatever), while you're unable to prove it is profitable. For Google, profit is $, for the NSA, profit is either intelligence \ means to gather that intelligence \ projects of National security.

If you think about Bitcoin, it is neither.


The NSA can do research, it might try to see what's going on and even use it to its causes. But for what Bitcoin is now, it is not something a government agency would spend millions of $ for research so they might be  able to do something with it in the future.
No government is that efficient.
We're still in an age where the government will spend 100M easily for 1 aircraft, but will not invest even 10M to research and influence on a revolutionary, even questionable digital-technology

^^ Thinks that government programs need to be profitable and/or useful in order to get funding...

 

You should read his post again.

[ajolly]

There is some sort of combination Wordpress/Javascript/Java exploit being pushed by that site. It is just a single line of document.write() before even DOCTYPE html.

So yeah, visit with your guards set to high.

This is some non-deterministic exploit, disappears upon refresh. Anyway, I'm going to paste the main text here for the safety of our readers.

Have more details? Did not see anything on my runthrough of the site.

[Trongersoll]

There is some sort of combination Wordpress/Javascript/Java exploit being pushed by that site. It is just a single line of document.write() before even DOCTYPE html.

So yeah, visit with your guards set to high.

This is some non-deterministic exploit, disappears upon refresh. Anyway, I'm going to paste the main text here for the safety of our readers.

Have more details? Did not see anything on my runthrough of the site.

AVG got upset for me and stopped the Java. when that happened there was no text to see.