[Cryptography] A Thought Experiment: Proof of Satoshi

bit at ungeared.com bit at ungeared.com
Sat Jan 23 14:16:15 EST 2021


 

 

From: cryptography <cryptography-bounces+mkapilkov=pace.edu at metzdowd.com> On Behalf Of bear
Sent: Friday, January 22, 2021 11:38 PM
To: bit <bit at ungeared.com>
Cc: cryptography at metzdowd.com; cryptography <cryptography-bounces+bear=sonic.net at metzdowd.com>
Subject: Re: [Cryptography] A Thought Experiment: Proof of Satoshi

 

>This question rekindled my musings on the topic – how would Satoshi prove that he is Satoshi, what proof would be

>definitive?  To most the question may be of rhetorical nature as in their mind, the proof is easy – all Satoshi would

>need to do is either sign a message with a private key from one of the early blocks or just move some of those early coins.

A more important question than HOW someone could prove they were Satoshi, is WHY would anyone prove they were Staoshi? Seriously, Satoshi is over.  The alias did what it was supposed to do and whoever created it has no more use for it.  It's gone.  No one was left with any legitimate need to know who he is, no one was left with any means of finding out, no one was left with any means of  proving it, Satoshi himself was left with no reason to ever come forward, and that's that.  That is a successful conclusion.  Why try to turn it into a failure?

Bear

That is more of a thought experiment than a real life situation. But Satoshi (if he’s alive) might have his own reasons. Maybe he is not happy with the direction of Bitcoin development or he wants to spend some of those early coins, which would lead to his discovery anyway.

As to why people want to know – it’s natural human curiosity, which sometimes can be a dangerous thing as we know from the Pandora box. Why scholars and amateurs alike have been debating Shakespeare’s identity for centuries? Another thing to consider is knowing who Satoshi is would discourage faketoshis.

Just curious, since you were communicating with Satoshi from before Bitcoin was released, do you have something that you could use as a litmus test against faketoshis?

 

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