At time of the OP, the price of bitcoin was at $110.

I wouldn't be surprised if the Russian government has managed it. As for why civilians haven't broke it, it has to do with the fact they are dirt poor compared to the higher echelons of society and that academic research is highly controlled. At least, that's my theory. Again, cryptanalysis isn't equivalent to auditing source code.

The federal government isn't a unified organization. In fact, if I were higher up in the NSA, I would want the lower branches of the government to use weak cryptography so I could have access to all their communications and resources.

And who says the NSA uses SHA256? Do you work for the NSA? I doubt even the President knows their operating procedures. They likely use cryptography that isn't available to the public.

And why would an organization with a classified budget have their real and full policy out in the open on the web?


They could have rigged the contest indirectly. A lot of the contestants weren't even revealed and tons of them were rejected. The NIST could have very well  intentionally chosen a weak hash function that only the NSA could compromise.

How the winning hash function was chosen was not totally open and clear. They gave some vague requirements but not much beyond that. They could say it's "fast and secure" but that's taking their word on it. In the end, you're relying on trust.

It doesn't but it's still based on the core DSA technology. The bit security is improved but in the end it is a slight modification. ECDSA is directly based on DSA. It's equivalent technology.

That assumes the algorithms are sound and are without flaw. That goes without saying that humans may not have a full grasp on physics.

First I will note DSA relies on hash functions such as SHA-256.  The mechanics of Calculus are not equivalent in complexity to the workings of a hash function. It would be arrogant to say that the complexities of the SHA-2 algorithms are fully quantified and that they are uncrackable. Do you understand what it entails to analyze and understand cryptography? Do you understand the resources it involves? It's not just auditing regular source code.

You can't just put it front of one expert and be assured confidence. Holes in cryptography can take many years to find. One can deduce such holes can be well hidden.

I am aware of this. I am not naive. As stated, NSA resources not only published these technologies but created the cryptography as well. They created the "math" behind closed-doors. The methodology behind these technologies is not fully disclosed. Sure, the technology is open but not the process it took to create it which can make all the difference.

Relevant: https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=235054.0

Speaking of Neptune, there might be a very good reason why we haven't had a moon landing in over 40 years that involves the DoD as well. Who defines what is impossible? The common man or the men with all the power?

Your theory hedges on the NSA being incompetent which is just as valid. As for your last sentence, I will only say that the fear of "terrorism" is a centuries old ruse used to acquire power.

The NSA's budget is classified for a reason. The NSA's benefactors have access to resources that most of the world cannot even comprehend. I cannot offer proof but I can claim this is a possibility more real than most think. When a national government such as the US helps achieve control of the world's finances and military in less than 2 centuries anything seems possible.

By the way, have you seen the budget of the Department of Defense recently?

As you should know, two of the main core technologies that make Bitcoin work are implementations of the following with slight modifications:

Digital Signature Algorithm - Patented by David W. Kravitz, a former National Security Agency employee.

SHA-256 - Designed and released by the National Security Agency.

The National Security Agency is a cryptologic intelligence agency of the United States Department of Defense responsible for the collection and analysis of foreign communications and foreign signals intelligence, as well as protecting U.S. government communications and information systems,[2] which involves information security and cryptanalysis/cryptography.(Wikipedia)

So, if the NSA is tasked with collecting and cracking foreign communications why would they provide the world with a hash function that is supposedly secure? Why would they provide the world with algorithms that would allow the world to hide information successfully? My opinion: They would not. They would likely only release cryptography they know they can infiltrate.

Assuming if DSA is compromised in a flash, what will happen to Bitcoin? Will we be able to migrate the blockchain to a new version of Bitcoin or will everything have to start from scratch?

Ask these questions to yourself. If you remain confident with your answers and the risk involved, feel free to stay invested. Otherwise, make a plan if you don't have one already.

Note: Posts will be deleted if they lack content and/or are off-topic.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/jun/09/nsa-whistleblower-edward-snowden-why


Face it. Bitcoin is already compromised. The NSA has endless resources to crack the cryptography of all communications on the planet. Do you really think they would just let people encrypt their communications freely by putting absolutely secure hash functions in the wild?

I will say it one last time: Bitcoin is a ticking time bomb. It is going to blow up any day now. Feel free to hold it for awhile but don't be the last guy holding it.

Thank you.

Interesting.

Nice guess but you're far off. Feel free to decimate this computer. It's not mine.

I am simply requesting somebody to summarize the audio file for my benefit and others.

Can somebody TL;DR this?

Short-term:

- Things are crashing hard this Summer. The media bubble has faded. We might see ourselves at $80 again. Even $30.

Long-term:

- Gold is going to recover. Hidden economic trouble is brewing. 'nuff said.

- The NSA has full control of Bitcoin through holes in SHA-256 and DSA that the mass of the public has yet to find. The whole blockchain might find itself worthless within the decade.

It was fun but Bitcoin is going to need a judgement day before cryptocurrency can become mainstream.

Here's my prediction: Bitcoin is going to be blown apart. The price will go to zero by 2020.

To those looking at this from the future: I told you so.

---

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/jun/09/nsa-whistleblower-edward-snowden-why

The closest thing you can get to anarchy is if you distribute sovereign power only to small localities and let individual cultures govern themselves.

Genetics and evolution will one day be proven to be far more complex of a system than what is known today. There are planetary factors, solar factors and even galactic factors that have a say in the formation of life in many different ways. Our Sun and its respective effects on the formation of life leads to a sentience such as ours. As many have theorized, physics begins to differ from galaxy to galaxy. Stars have a lot to do with that, in realms of energy that we haven't even begun to touch.

Humanity is not a civilized species. It is numerous rabid packs of wild primates who happen to be able to build tools and speak eloquently. In times of conflict, they resort to a pecking order, a pack -- just like wolves and many other mammals.

Humans are mostly socially simplistic. They usually focus on and live for social status and mating. The adventurous who are driven to profit through innovation and higher purpose either make their way to the top of the pack, or are shunned by those above them and by the collective whom follows.

This species is a volatile experiment. It is heavily monitored and looked upon and rightly quarantined from the rest of the galactic community. In fact, it is an outright miracle you guys haven't blown yourself up like the Maldek and the people of Mars, the former is the oblivion known as the Asteroid belt. This entire solar system has had numerous failures of this kind.

You guys are doing much better. However, it is foreseen that the next 300 years don't have much hope. This planet will likely no longer suit your kind. It was lovely while it lasted.

Not the stage crap but real magick? Who here is a sorcerer but is too embarrassed to talk about it?

Let's just watch the skeptics come in here with their reducto-materialism.

Added.