Post
Topic
Board Bitcoin Discussion
Topic OP
Schrödinger's Bitcoin Thought Experiment
by
SwannyMatt
on 13/02/2014, 04:16:10 UTC
A long standing physical bitcoin mint with an impeccable track record has a one in a trillion glitch (unbeknownst to anyone) on their automated assembly line. The bitcoin was allocated to the physical coin but the private key was lost forever due to the glitch. The coin circulates in the market, and everyone perceives it's worth a bitcoin. Before it is opened for the world to recognize the private key is corrupted, is the bitcoin dead, alive, or both at the same time?