Oddbean new post about | logout
▲ ▼
Big Barry Bitcoin | 5 months ago (raw) | root | parent | reply | flag 
 But then these people are not anonymous, so the mint can still be taken down by government. I don't get it.
▲ ▼
waxwing | 5 months ago (raw) | root | parent | reply | flag 
 Yes, it's not workable imo, either 1/ the group is small enough that LEA goes after and harrasses all individuals or 2/ large enough that nobody can place trust in it because nobody knows(of) all the members.

Ring sigs usually have exculpability, meaning you can't be proven as the signer even if your key is coerced out of you. But similar to OTR, it sounds nice on paper, but (maybe?) doesn't help too much in practice if LEAs are harassing and intimidating you.
▲ ▼
matt | 5 months ago (raw) | root | parent | reply | flag 
 I mean certainly any sufficiently-large mint is never gonna last, the question is how to make small-ish mints that lots of people can put $20 in last. Fully public small mints probably still get smacked down, but maybe this gives you a sweet spot between private-enough ownership but still trusted-enough ownership?
▲ ▼
waxwing | 5 months ago (raw) | root | parent | reply | flag +1 
 Forgive me for slightly derailing, but .. isn't that a fascinating moral quandary, what I just mentioned? I am Mr Trusted Bitcoin Developer (MTBD) and I set up a mint anonymously, and the mint's key I ring-sign using 10 other famous people's keys. These are "SAG"s (spontaneous, no involvement of other 10). Then a year later police get warrants to search all the other 10 people's houses. Maybe it's unlikely that police power extends that far, but .. given history I would not doubt it. It seems pretty obvious that this is *not* OK, right? But it can't be stopped except by .. an ethical choice?