Re: Exchange accidentally sent 512 bitcoins after coding error
This all just comes back to the fact that the anonymity means there's a lot of deniability, and it puts the onus on the sender to make sure they're not sending their money to the wrong place. You're not sending bitcoins to a person, you're sending them to an address. You can't prove that the address is connected to the person.
http://blockexplorer.com/address/1LmHwPxGdUbnSMyomDeWtz85GkxUG2c31X
August 15/16 (depending on time zone), 2011 in #bitcoinpool
Quote
1LmHwPxGdUbnSMyomDeWtz85GkxUG2c31X
At Block 143440 (2011-09-01 05:36:32) BenDavis had 0 bitcoins at that address.
...
By Block 143458 (2011-09-01 09:13:50) BenDavis had received a total of 95 bitcoins from phantomcircuit due to bug.
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By Block 143460 (2011-09-01 09:37:52) BenDavis had received a total of 111 bitcoins from phantomcircuit due to bug.
By Block 143461 (2011-09-01 09:40:55) BenDavis had received a total of 510 bitcoins from phantomcircuit due to bug. This is 399 bitcoins received in this block alone.
At Block 143461 (2011-09-01 09:40:55) BenDavis had also sent 94 bitcoins to 1M8v28U9SnxMgebJM5wmNdkd5TB9V7haUX
At Block 143461 (2011-09-01 09:40:55) BenDavis had also sent 17 bitcoins to 1CYGeK9mozuLWsGxYdhYw1RYtpXZAdiUse
At Block 143462 (2011-09-01 09:46:44) BenDavis had also sent 200 bitcoins to 1CYGeK9mozuLWsGxYdhYw1RYtpXZAdiUse
At Block 143463 (2011-09-01 09:47:37) BenDavis had also sent 199 bitcoins to 1M8v28U9SnxMgebJM5wmNdkd5TB9V7haUX thus having a 0 bitcoin balance at this point.
Although the following quotes are hypothetical and not declarative:
If you wake up, and there are 511 BTC in your wallet, THEY ARE YOURS.
If I wake up in the morning, and I find 511 BTC in my account, how did I steal it? Please explain that.
The data above proves that BenDavis was active immediately upon receiving the bitcoins.