Quote from: HTS on September 22, 2013, 06:35:28 PM

Quote from: NewLiberty on September 22, 2013, 02:33:26 PM

Quote from: HTS on September 22, 2013, 02:13:58 PM

I'm fairly new to bitcoin and am interested in physical bitcoins. There are a number of options, but all of the ones I've seen rely on hologram stickers for security. I think Mike Caldwell is Casascius has documented that he is reliable. However, once a coin leaves his hands, I am nervous that any Casascius coin I purchase on ebay or through some other vender might be tainted. Does anyone else share these concerns? I think some day bitcoins will be worth thousands of dollars each. There is no doubt that as they become more valuable, that a heightened risk of security will be a concern. It seems to me that a hologram sticker is pretty weak security.

There are some innovations to improve on previous designs. It was pretty good then, but is going to be better.
Keep in mind the value of a bitcoin was much lower when they were first made and the security was then very adequate to what it was protecting.

There are other options if you don't like the sticker for other reasons (or if you want a more durable piece for circulating) and would enjoy a Bitcoin Specie piece without bitcoins embedded, check the cold hard cash link below for ours.

But if you are looking for a physical coin wallet in which to store bitcoin out of circulation, you want Casascius. There is another maker coming out soonish as well, which is currently in design.
https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=289668.0

I think the Casascius coin was a good idea when bitcoins were cheaper. Mike Caldwell has said that one of the reasons for the coins was proof of concept. I think now that bitcoin is increasing in value and [I believe] is on its way to being worth hundreds I'd dollars per coin, I'm hesitant to trust the integrity of a sticker. How hard could it be to counterfeit a hologram? I really don't know. I think that even now there is plenty of motivation for a crook to buy casascius coins, steal the private key, and place a counterfeit hologram on it and resell.

We have devised effective countermeasures against the exploits demonstrated. The innovations have been shared with Mike, and we look forward to future demonstrations and attempts. Good security improves in response to tests.

And... there are also the Specie pieces. No stickers there. They are made to circulate, but there are some collectible editions too.