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Bitcoin puzzle #66 was solved: 6.6 BTC (~$400k) withdrawn

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Re: Bitcoin puzzle #66 was solved: 6.6 BTC (~$400k) withdrawn

#411
post #272

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It shouldn't be so easy to derive a private key from the corresponding public key. Is the attack you're referring to working because most of the bits of the private key are already known or am I missing something else here?

> It shouldn't be so easy to derive a private key from the corresponding public key. What specifically are you calling "so easy"? If we're talking about "2^(n/2)", I don't see the problem. Why shouldn't it be that?

The problem is that OP specifically said 2^33, which is quite darn easy. I didn't immediately realize that he was saying so just because, in this specific case, only 66 bits needed to be found, which indeed gives 2^33 by applying the usual formula.

Re: Bitcoin puzzle #66 was solved: 6.6 BTC (~$400k) withdrawn

#412

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Vitalik got indirectly pwned by the infamous DAO smart contract hack, but had the social clout to pause/rollback the supposedly decentralised/immutable Blockchain. Maybe not the best example of cryptographic security.

> Vitalik got indirectly pwned How exactly was Vitalik "indirectly pwned"?

Personal assets in The DAO

Re: Bitcoin puzzle #66 was solved: 6.6 BTC (~$400k) withdrawn

#413
post #2

Discussion thread here: https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=1306983.msg64526037#... Bitcoin puzzles are private keys with just a few unknown bits so that anyone can bruteforce them to collect a reward. Puzzle 66 contained 66 unknown bits and had 6.6 BTC deposited into it by the initial puzzle creator. The private key was 0x000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000002832ed74f2b5e35ee or 256 bits with mostly ze…

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Re: Bitcoin puzzle #66 was solved: 6.6 BTC (~$400k) withdrawn

#416
post #366
post #218

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I saw a few places stop accepting cash during covid days but most have started accepting it again. The one place that I frequent that still doesn’t is the haircut store in my town. There are not a lot of options so it’s card or go somewhere that charges almost double.

What's weird to me is that you guys frame it as a bad thing. For me as a European it's the opposite, I'm in trouble if someone doesn't take card. Nobody carries cash any more. I think pretty much all stores still accept cash, but most people here just never withdraw any. It's pretty much just old people and people buing illegal stuff

What you deem illegal may not be the next day. Being able to do illegal things is actually healthy for a society. Otherwise we already have the technology to stop all crimes world wide. We could force every person to wear a body cam at all times and failure to do so results in life in prison. Done crime solved. But that would not be good no one wants that. But if we did stop every crime imagine how the world would be. Imagine 60 years ago we could stop all crime. Any homosexual would be found and persecuted. Anyone who became a whistleblower would be found a jailed. There are just so many reasons why being able to break the law is fundamental for a society to progress and thrive.

So this is why cash IS a good thing. Sex workers want to do their thing and Johns want to not be instantly called out for using sex workers. The people who long ago realized magic mushrooms work to cure depression want to be be able to get it without being jailed. Now, here in Canada, sex work is protected and magic mushrooms will not get you thrown in jail.

So even though you may deem things illegal, I ask you think of a greater good that cash allows as everything being digital reveals a lot of information that not all people are comfortable their government knowing. Be it homosexuals, depressed people trying illicit treatments, or extremely lonely discarded individuals reaching out to sex workers verses suicide.

Lastly according to a quick google search and a few spots I looked at, most only showing 2022 as latest information, most point of sale transactions in Europe are made with cash not card [1]. [1] https://www.statista.com/statistics/786680/share-of-cash-tra...

Re: Bitcoin puzzle #66 was solved: 6.6 BTC (~$400k) withdrawn

#417
post #416
post #366

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What's weird to me is that you guys frame it as a bad thing. For me as a European it's the opposite, I'm in trouble if someone doesn't take card. Nobody carries cash any more. I think pretty much all stores still accept cash, but most people here just never withdraw any. It's pretty much just old people and people buing illegal stuff

What you deem illegal may not be the next day. Being able to do illegal things is actually healthy for a society. Otherwise we already have the technology to stop all crimes world wide. We could force every person to wear a body cam at all times and failure to do so results in life in prison. Done crime solved. But that would not be good no one wants that. But if we did stop every crime imagine how the world would be…

Just for the record I don't condemn victimless crimes. I'm fine with willing sex workers and I'm fine with drugs. As far as I'm concerned, alcohol is worse than most illegal drugs, and most of the harm from most illegal drugs comes from their illegal status not the drugs themselves. If it was up to me I'd legalize everything. You want to buy heroin just take a mandatory safety class explaining safe use, then go buy it at the pharmacy. People can get it either way, might as well get clean and taxed stuff. I realize that's probably not entirely realistic but that's my opinion anyway. Especially for lighter stuff, heroin and meth might be the exceptions but again, anyone can buy it whenever so honestly I don't see why they shouldn't be able to do it at a pharmacy.

And in northern Europe, pretty much nobody uses cash. In the rest of Europe, at least the places I've been, pretty much every store accepts card and often other digital payment methods.

I don't doubt your statistics, just stating my experience. I just think it's strange that people prefer cash for legitimate purchases. I definitely want cash to stay around, but these days we can use crypto for illegal stuff anyway do it's not really a big deal.

Re: Bitcoin puzzle #66 was solved: 6.6 BTC (~$400k) withdrawn

#420
post #417
post #416

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What you deem illegal may not be the next day. Being able to do illegal things is actually healthy for a society. Otherwise we already have the technology to stop all crimes world wide. We could force every person to wear a body cam at all times and failure to do so results in life in prison. Done crime solved. But that would not be good no one wants that. But if we did stop every crime imagine how the world would be…

Just for the record I don't condemn victimless crimes. I'm fine with willing sex workers and I'm fine with drugs. As far as I'm concerned, alcohol is worse than most illegal drugs, and most of the harm from most illegal drugs comes from their illegal status not the drugs themselves. If it was up to me I'd legalize everything. You want to buy heroin just take a mandatory safety class explaining safe use, then go buy i…

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