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Anonymity on Bitcoin and TorMatt Corallo

April 1, 2013

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Bitcoin?

A Decentralized Anonymous Cryptocurrency

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Bitcoin?

A Decentralized Anonymous Cryptocurrency

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Bitcoin?

A Decentralized Anonymous Cryptocurrency

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Bitcoin?

A Decentralized Anonymous Cryptocurrency

A Decentralized Pseudonymous Digital Commodity

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Decentralized

No central authority

Double-spend problem

Alice

Bob

Hat Guy

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Decentralized

Blockchain!

Hard to generate (cost power)

Most work wins

Transaction confirmed in blocks

Miners generate blocks get Bitcoin

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Decentralized

Who enforces the rules?

What are the rules?

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Pseudonymous

Not so anonymous when you post your address

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Pseudonymous

Blockchain is Public

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Pseudonymous

How do you get money into Bitcoin?

Online Exchange

Physical Exchange

Transaction origination

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RFC 1149

IP-over-Avian Carriers

Due to high latency, UDP provides higher throughput

Built-in source and timestamp obscurity

Audit trails could be problematic

Crossing large bodies of water may help

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Tor

Designed to provide anonymity to anyone online

Routes traffic through the network randomly

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Tor

Really anonymous?

Control the whole network?

10%

not all that much

Packet timing?

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Silk Road

Seriously, you think this is anonymous?

You provided a physical mailing address

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Is it possible?

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Is Bitcoin ideal for Illegal Activities?

Bitcoin is the underlying currency/commodity NOT a bank

Is cash anonymous?