[SKY] Skycoin Launch Announcement

[skycoin]

Development Update:

I hate computers.

I am trying to do something very simple. I am trying to get the balance of a Bitcoin address against a remote server, from Golang using a thin client. It is impossible. I have to write the server/client and wrap libbitcoin because it does not exist.

In Skycoin, I can go

http://skycoin-chompyz.c9.io/outputs

And I can see list of output for all addresses against a remote full node and get the balances for addresses instantly.

If I am a merchant and I need a thin client, to check addresses for balance changes, I
- keep a counter (integer) for last block I have seen
- I query http://skycoin-chompyz.c9.io/blockchain and look at "seq" (the block height)
- If I have only seen blocks since 160 and it is at 165, then I get the next block with http://skycoin-chompyz.c9.io/blockchain/block?seq=160 and I keep doing this until I am at the head. I scan each block for transactions I am interested in.

So in Skycoin, I can keep a map of addresses that I am watching for incoming transactions, then I can "walk the chain" and pick out those transactions with a thin client. I can have a billion addresses on the watch list and the map lookup operation is constant time.

In Bitcoin, I am just screwed only thing that has come close to enabling Bitcoin to be usable for developers is libbitcoin and there is not a golang wrapper yet.

I expect the bitcoin client to be hacked. It is going to be buffer overflow attacked. So I want the nodes running the full nodes to be separate from the the user wallets (which should be able to operate as full nodes or thin clients), so that an intentional OpenSSL bug does not loot the Bitcoin private keys. I should not have to run a full node to get balances and inject transactions.

The best solution is to wrap libbitcoin (address unspent balance check and transaction injection), then expose that over a golang RPC. So we can have nodes that are exposing a golang RPC thin client interface. Two functions "get unspent outputs for these addresses" and "inject transaction". Then we craft transactions and handle private key storage on the local computer. This is exactly the same as electrum architecturally but would be a programmatic API that other applications (like the Skycoin wallet) can use.

We might be able to do a libbitcoin RPC in golang. There is very little documentation, but someone is looking into that.

Why we need this:

This infrastructure is required for several things
- we can generate bitcoin addresses deterministically with `go run ./cmd/address_gen/address_gen.go --seed="passphrase" -n=3 -b`



- If you change n, you can generate as many or as few addresses/keys as you want
- if you put -b, they are bitcoin addresses, if there is no -b, they are skycoin addresses
- if there is no --seed="" it will generate a 256 bit seed for you

So we can generate addresses, but cannot check the Bitcoin address balances or send from them yet. As soon as this is done running a brain wallet will be
- pull from github
- run command with pass phrase, then can do balance check and send (in Bitcoin or Skycoin)
- there may be a terminal gui type interface (golang termbox or other terminal interface libraries)

This toolchain completely eliminates the need for wallet files or computers for transporting Bitcoin/Skycoin.

This is being designed to run on portable open source ARM software/hardware, like a raspberry pi. This will be even easier once the crypto library port to pure golang is done. So this tool chain should enable secure hardware wallets. There will be $9 to $20 single chip ARM computers that can run the tool chain soon.








A hot wallet would be loaded from a deterministic wallet seed, then discard the seed and only retain the private keys/addresses. A cold wallet device would load the seed from a secure input device, load keys into ram, do operations (check balances/send) and then forget everything.

Yesterday we throught "it should only take 20 minutes to build one of these devices", but we cannot, because bitcoind is missing API functions and there is no golang library that has them.

We have the private keys, we have the address, we need to
- get the unspent output set for the Bitcoin addresses
- create a Bitcoin transaction, sign it with the private keys, dump it as hex
- inject the transaction into the network

We cant even do that without writing new custom software. This is insanity.

If anyone knows where the documentation is for the libbitcoin zeromq interface wrapper, that would help.

[digi123]

I have been able to download them but they all do not start up. They open up for a second then close down. I have windows. Is anyone else having this problem?

Works for me on Windows 7 64bit English language. Check event viewer if you have any clues there. Also try launching it from command line (i.e. not double-clicking the .exe), perhaps there will be an error message or something.

Thanks for advise,
I have done what you have sugested and have found it was saying that wallet is invalid and filename not set, so I took the wallet files out then it started ok and created a new wallet file but doesnt create a blockchain still, which is double useless because I need it to accept the original wallet file because thats where my coins will show up. And it also needs to do the blockchain, So all around nothing works.

skycoin can you just make the thing work first, love all the coding considerations but please, please make it work so I can have my coins in my wallet.

[TPTB_need_war]

We have the private keys, we have the address, we need to
- get the unspent output set for the Bitcoin addresses
- create a Bitcoin transaction, sign it with the private keys, dump it as hex
- inject the transaction into the network

We cant even do that without writing new custom software. This is insanity.

If anyone knows where the documentation is for the libbitcoin zeromq interface wrapper, that would help.

Why can't you just use an API such as Blockchain.info and be done with it for now.

Thanks for ignoring me again.

Okay I am closing your thread and you will perhaps get a formidable competitor instead.

[altcoinUK]

The objective is to prevent the sybil nodes from controlling propagation of transaction, block and consensus propagation.

That is the Achilles heel of your current consensus design. You will eventually have to abandon it and move to my solution. We should be synergizing, because my solution was inspired by the discussions we had upthread.

https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=68655.msg11327393#msg11327393

(read my posts from the linked post to end of page 1193)

Also for all your impressive technical prowess, it won't help you solve the marketing hurdle that no altcoin has surmounted. You need my combination of design, marketing, and coding skills. But can our egos co-exist?

Skycoin, seriously it is time to stop messing around. Why are we not working together?

Before I asked you to have a discussion on BitMessage but you did not engage. I am making one more attempt to ping you.

That's an interesting conversation, thanks for pointing it out!

[reverse02]

Dear Skycoin,

" We will send test coins to make sure you receiving address works. Do not send Bitcoin unless you have confirmed address works "

Is that still valid?

I don't know if my skycoin works .. but it doesn't show any testcoins arrived

btw. which adress should i send the bitcoins then

the bitmessage order i sent on 24th of feb shows a receiving confirmation

cheers

[provenceday]

Still not get a message from sky coin ipo.

Thanks.

[Byter88]

Still not get a message from sky coin ipo.

Thanks.

I asked as well a few pages back but there's seems to be larger issues than getting back to those who would like to buy some.

Skycoin,

Can you get back to people still interested in IPO after libbitcoin issue is fixed? thanks.

[BTCspace]

received some test coin, thanks for the innovation works.

[oddwh]

Hello,

I've been absent for a very long time, so I didn't open Bitmessage since maybe 1 month or even more ^^'

Can you confirm if I can still use the BTC Address you gave in the message ? I prefer to have a confirmation before I send, in case of it has an expiry time  

Currently, my wallet is downloading blocks, do I should already got the coins even if I didn't send the BTC ? edit: ok, got the coin, just waiting your confirmation 

Thanks !

[td services]

This reads like the prequels to Hunger Games and Elysium. It is also a very good description of why I'm here.

[Jamil.Kamil]

Sky coin offering protection 51% against of any kind of attack.. this is good but can be improved for not be unsecured 49%.  We understood that provideing fast transection with average for second timing and no fee what is really great and making this currency fast and accessible....

[bubbletea789]

Still not get a message from sky coin ipo.

Thanks.

I asked as well a few pages back but there's seems to be larger issues than getting back to those who would like to buy some.

Skycoin,

Can you get back to people still interested in IPO after libbitcoin issue is fixed? thanks.

@skycoin: I think you should log in to bitmessage more frequently (minimum every 2 days) because I am pretty sure messages will get deleted after 2 days hanging on there without you receiving it.

[chompyZ]

I think the practical solution is to escape.
...
So let them have their slaves. Free yourself. Do not try to free other people's slaves.

... in the works

[skycoin]

Update:

Doing security stuff still.

We are standardizing on an L4 kernel variant called seL4. It is a microkernel which takes ~30 KB of ram and has been formally verified. This is the fastest running kernel and also the most secure. It has about 30,000 lines of code compared to the Linux Kernel's 15 million lines. I want to get this running on a Raspberry pi.

seL4 will work with phone (ARM), Raspberry PI, server or desktop.

I think we will use Genode distribution. It has support for Armory/ARM thumbstick computer. These should be ~$8 or an equivalent available soon. Or can use a raspberry pi.



I want a standardized distribution, that is locked down and can run the Skycoin tool chain and communicate securely over network.

This will give a secure storage/execution environment for Skycoin nodes, communication and key storage. Then will allow deployment of "applications".

I think for windows users, we will just release a small Tinycore that runs in the QEMU emulator (its like Virtual box). Then windows users can have full execution environment and run from source.

[td services]

I've been wanting to do a Tin Foil Easter Bonnet Contest for some time.

[skycoin]

Update:

People are trying to destroy Bitcoin. Gavin and Gmaxwell have made statements about being discouraged or threatening to leave project. I believe there is a group trying to destroy Bitcoin from within. They are pushing for standards and changes that will weaken Bitcoin. They have to get the good people forced off the project and get people under their influence into place. So getting rid of objective people who will fight against objectively bad decisions and are difficult to manipulate with bullshit, is necessary. No matter how many times it is explained with logic, why the decisions they are trying to make, are bad for Bitcoin and in fact unnecessary, they keep pushing them over and over and over again. They are going to grind their opposition down until they give up.

There is going to be a major financial crisis by September or within the next 24 months at the latest. After the last financial crisis, we saw a major uptick in Bitcoin activity and I think they want to get rid of it if they can, sometime during the crisis.

I think there will be attacks on mining pools, 51% attacks, attacks in media to discredit Bitcoin and internal conflicts and fights to split the community. I think the major mining pools will be bought out also and there will be fights to control them.

I am getting conflicting information. I think there is a group that wants to take Bitcoin out and another group that wants to control the pools to stop coins from being dumped and do a major pump and runup, like we saw with gox using fake paper dollars to buy up coins to send price up, before imploding.

I think many of the exchanges are running fractional reserve (they only have a fraction of the Bitcoin they say they have) and they will claim they "were hacked" and the coins stolen. People are buying Bitcoin that dont exist and it is creating "paper Bitcoin" that is suppressing the price. This is the same scam that is used to rig gold prices.

Wall Street and regulations are about running scams. There was company doing derivatives trading strategies and they place an order and before the order is placed, another company gets to see their order and gets to bid the price up/down and front run people on an order by order basis. The company had a strategy that was returning 20% per year, but lost all its profits on "slippage" from being front run. The regulators approve. That is basicly how Wall Street works. Its just a legalized scam.

For gold, there are companies that hold physical gold and can sell multiple units of paper gold per physical unit. So they buy $100 in gold and then can sell $500 in paper gold. So all the physical gold ends up with a small number of special companies and when gold prices go up, they have to cover their positions, so they pound the market with more paper gold to keep the price down. Then when fiat and whole economy collapses, the paper gold people are left with worthless coupons, the gold has "disappeared" without changing vaults (the collateral is tiered, so in insolvency a shell corporation ends up getting the physical ahead of the paper gold holders) and they end up with all the gold and everyone else gets nothing. So you buy gold with dollars. They buy gold and can immediately resell it on paper, while still owning it, to get their money back. It is just a giant fraud.

So if you have Bitcoin, keep them in wallet and try to minimize the balance you have on exchanges.

There have been at least two documented examples of DEA agents or other agents writing themselves warrants (possibly under the FISA court) and going into hosting companies for an "investigation", getting access to servers for an exchange and then stealing all the coins from the exchange.

The good news, is this will be great for the alts in the long term. They are playing whack-a-man. Two or three dominant coins will have to rise and be destroyed, before we see something that is going to survive in the long term. I think Bitcoin could bounce back immediately and that the effect of the attacks and panic selling may be underwhelming.

The attempts at splitting Bitcoin apart, will move a lot money into the alts. The hardcore people are already to move on, which will be good for people who choose the right coins early.

[cambda]

Update:

People are trying to destroy Bitcoin. Gavin and Gmaxwell have made statements about being discouraged or threatening to leave project. I believe there is a group trying to destroy Bitcoin from within. They are pushing for standards and changes that will weaken Bitcoin. They have to get the good people forced off the project and get people under their influence into place. So getting rid of objective people who will fight against objectively bad decisions and are difficult to manipulate with bullshit, is necessary. No matter how many times it is explained with logic, why the decisions they are trying to make, are bad for Bitcoin and in fact unnecessary, they keep pushing them over and over and over again. They are going to grind their opposition down until they give up.

There is going to be a major financial crisis by September or within the next 24 months at the latest. After the last financial crisis, we saw a major uptick in Bitcoin activity and I think they want to get rid of it if they can, sometime during the crisis.

I think there will be attacks on mining pools, 51% attacks, attacks in media to discredit Bitcoin and internal conflicts and fights to split the community. I think the major mining pools will be bought out also and there will be fights to control them.

I am getting conflicting information. I think there is a group that wants to take Bitcoin out and another group that wants to control the pools to stop coins from being dumped and do a major pump and runup, like we saw with gox using fake paper dollars to buy up coins to send price up, before imploding.

I think many of the exchanges are running fractional reserve (they only have a fraction of the Bitcoin they say they have) and they will claim they "were hacked" and the coins stolen. People are buying Bitcoin that dont exist and it is creating "paper Bitcoin" that is suppressing the price. This is the same scam that is used to rig gold prices.

So if you have Bitcoin, keep them in wallet and try to minimize the balance you have on exchanges.

There have been at least two documented examples of DEA agents or other agents writing themselves warrants (possibly under the FISA court) and going into hosting companies for an "investigation", getting access to servers for an exchange and then stealing all the coins from the exchange.

The good news, is this will be great for the alts in the long term. Bitcoin is dead, long live Bitcoin.

Great post till the last 4 words. you're weird man!

[syrio]

IPO Update:

I have not sent out receipts or test coins yet.

The messages are being processed by hand. If instructions were too long, just
- install Bitmessage
- send message to BM-2cU8XJp3GPVQG75ZwMjiyzdDEa9eD4B7iM
- include how many Skycoin you want. At 10 cents per Skycoin. You will get receipt back.
- send contact information and a bitcoin address in case we need to return coins
- send us a Skycoin address where you want the coins

You will receive receipt
- There should be some test coins in your address
- send bitcoin for receipt and rest of coins will show up

https://i.imgur.com/E9tuogA.png

You should include email or bitcoin talks, qq-chat or other identity information in case we have to contact you. You must send us a Bitcoin address we can send bitcoin back to if we need to.

Preferred Format:

```
contact: bitcointalks:rockhill
bitcoin_addr:113n1hdJFN7R61fMncQr14TmnbcVQ7cBgP
skycoin_addr: ZWhZtjwXMS46cpDxfRwQyxxKPhqwsQu8oN
coins_requested: 9600

good luck!
```

This is an example message that is good. You can include a message below the IPO request.

Good Article on Bitcoin:

This is the Council on Foreign Relations publication. It generally predicts five to twenty years out institutional changes and what is on the horizon before it happens. The topics addressed are issues of concern to the CFR and not necessarily reflect official position or consensus among the elite, but .

http://www.foreignaffairs.com/articles/143162/paul-vigna-and-michael-j-casey/bitcoin-for-the-unbanked

There is a clear split. The central banks dont like Bitcoin, the tax authorities are neutral because it is so heavily centralized on Coinbase and Bitpay that it can be taxed automatically. The income is "matchable" if it goes through bitpay/coinbase.

The upper tiers support Bitcoin and vaguely hope it may be able to reign in the FED or generally believe it will promote justice in the world. They see banks seizing houses they dont own and selling them without even pretense. They understand the FED and financial sector group is too powerful to be restrained by law. During the "financial crisis" they grabbed a company with 100 billion dollars in assets and forced into insolvency using a government regulator, on a rumor they caused and then "sold" the company to themselves for 2 billion dollars. This is literally "You dont own that" and they grab your property and give it to themselves. They cannot be restrained by law or government. They are government, it is the same group of people under different badges and titles. Or they grab trillion of dollars from county and give it to themselves, creating a debt that needs to be tax farmed from the public.

There is a sincere intention that technologies like Bitcoin may get the poor or anyone with a cell phone onto the global financial system. Many people will have Bitcoin, cell phones and internet before they get electricity or running water. The real politik is that Bitcoin may evolve into something that can impose some discipline on governments and reign in the FED.

There is a split between the interests. The people at the top want to continue the current system at the international level and the people below it want it abolished or dont understand it. The top level banks have determined that Bitcoin is immature and that is not viable and does not pose a threat to their powers. It doesnt allow the slaves to escape the plantation. They believe Bitcoin should be studied carefully but is not significant in its implications to their current operations.

Bitcoin is really a war of the 1% against the 0.00001%.

hi,skycoin, i send v Bitmessage 2 times  but no answer, any other way to get skycoin? thanks.

bitcoin_addr:1MC1p5FSkELj5M2qV2dgeCDUdJNUy6u8TU
skycoin_addr: 2fcUG6oQSsaWZK9Crqkh6LzGfZexqUqtHWg 

[skycoin]

Update:

Here is benchmark of the Skycoin consensus algorithm and rounds to convergence vs other voter based algorithms.



I think there is an improvement, but current method out performs all methods in literature that we have found so far. The important part is that it converges rapidly in a small number of rounds (less than 10 or 20) and that it does not get stuck in a non-convergent state.

Sznadjd and naive voting sometimes do not converge in 40 rounds. This means network gets stuck in particular state and does not converge. The Skycoin consensus algorithm avoids getting stuck, which is good.

5 rounds convergence, means that if round trip time between California and Japan is 200 millisecond, 5 rounds is about 1 second. So average block times can be as low as 1 to 2 seconds, for this network topology (the wikipedia voter data set).

[MemoryShock]

5 rounds convergence, means that if round trip time between California and Japan is 200 millisecond, 5 rounds is about 1 second. So average block times can be as low as 1 to 2 seconds, for this network topology (the wikipedia voter data set).

Very cool...