[Cryptography] Question about Bitcoin's security model

[Peter Fairbrother]

On 29/07/2026 08:44, Roland Ionas Bialke wrote:
> Peter Fairbrother schrieb am 27.07.2026 15:15 (GMT +02:00):

>     While we all admire CGHQ^H^H^H^H Satoshi's coding style, I sometimes
>     wonder whether Bitcoin was a spoiler attack against the development of a
>     truly anonymous online currency.
> 
>     Peter Fairbrother
> 
>     I would love, if you could explain the last part of your posting.
>     What is you theory here? Always I thought SN would be a former
>     McDonalds employee, went to Germany to do weird kinky stuff there.

?!

SN remains remarkably successful in remaining anonymous (unlike 
Bitcoin). So he is a world-class security guy (or maybe has a team to 
help him remain anonymous).

He appears to be a world-class cryptographer, to the extent that maybe 
he had a team to help him create Bitcoin.

He appears to be a world-class coder, to the extent that maybe he had a 
team to help him write Bitcoin.

He doesn't seem to want to (or to be able to, or to be allowed to) 
profit from Bitcoin.

SN is a Londoner.

Speculating about a person like that, an employee of GCHQ ticks all the 
boxes.


Aha, you ask, but why would GCHQ want to develop an "anonymous currency"?

On a related note, why did the US Navy develop TOR? And why did NSA 
allow them to?

In the TOR case there are public reasons, but I find them unconvincing. 
In the Bitcoin case, if GCHQ did develop it, we can only speculate as to 
why.

As a spoiler attack, or for encouraging the widespread deployment of 
something (only) they can break, or even only just having some control - 
maybe.



Peter Fairbrother

Zeroth law - It's all about control

(initially suggested by SN, as it happens)