Bitcoin Canary

[CliffordM]

Why do we not create a web-site encouraging someone to crack a specific public-key ?

If there is someone at the NSA who wishes to communicate this ability, then they can do so anonymously by simply emptying the wallet. (given Snowden, and Manning, this is highly likely).

There are two outcomes :

1.Wallet is emptied --> someone cracked it, OR the wallet creator moved the money. 

2.Wallet remains untouched.  Either the NSA cannot do it, OR no-one wants to tell.


The ideal scenario is that (2) persists, and maybe members of the bitcoin add tiny chunks of change to the wallet to 'feed the canary' to keep it happy (along with the Bitcoin community).

If the initial key was created at a conference between a large group of people we could reasonably expect to 'lose' the private key.

All we need is a nice website, advertising the challenge,  and promoting an ever-aging, fattening yellow canary , which keeps the miners (just like old times!) and public safe.

[davidpbrown]

Surely this isn't necessary as the basis of the public-key is loss of information?

I hold one grain of sand and you can see all the sand in all the world. Have a competition to guess which grain of sand I hold..

[CliffordM]

but the point is to create a central point for everyone to see and watch -- and entice a whistle-blower.  If the central point is not reasonably unique, a breach could easily be fabricated.  With time, a site like this would grow in strength to demonstrate the security of the system.

[gmaxwell]

It's called block 1's 50 BTC.

Or perhaps you would be interested in https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=293382.0 ?

[CliffordM]

That's great -- didn't realise all that was out there. Thanks.