Re: Bitcoin puzzle transaction ~32 BTC prize to who solves it
What if we wake up tomorrow and someone signs multiple messages with addresses 140 to 160 saying he/she is the rightful owner of these coins, it was never a challenge, never intended for it to be bruteforced, an unfortunate circumstance happened and he/she went to jail for the last 10years, released recently and found out people are bruteforcing his/her coins, has now made a complaint to the authorities about this....
Would you still believe that bitcointalk forum post
I think peoples' greed and lack of money clouds their judgment here.
If the owner wanted to prove legitimate ownership to these coins, nothing stops him signing a message with addresses 150, 155 and 160, state his intent about the coins and paste in a public forum.
Would you still believe that bitcointalk forum post
I think peoples' greed and lack of money clouds their judgment here.
If the owner wanted to prove legitimate ownership to these coins, nothing stops him signing a message with addresses 150, 155 and 160, state his intent about the coins and paste in a public forum.
A cryptographically signed message from a Bitcoin address is the strongest possible proof . Courts and investigators increasingly recognize such signatures as valid evidence (similar to a digital notarization). A forum post alone carries no weight without cryptographic verification. If the coins are genuinely "lost," courts may view brute-forcing as akin to finding abandoned property. However, if an owner emerges with proof, the brute-forcer could face liability for theft or unjust enrichment. If someone falsely claims ownership without cryptographic proof, they could face civil fraud claims or criminal charges (e.g., filing a false police report).
Courts treat BTC like money or assets, not "abandoned treasure." The risks far outweigh the fantasy rewards.