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Date: Wed, 21 Jan 2015 10:20:42 +0200
Message-ID: <CADCNpyOTMij44XwNwgmdViyaiL2xcyit1xEqV5-UEg_0_EZjQw@mail.gmail.com>
From: Alon Muroch <alonmuroch@gmail.com>
To: 21E14 <21xe14@gmail.com>
Content-Type: multipart/alternative; boundary=f46d0421a87f42f913050d253b2e
Cc: Bitcoin Dev <bitcoin-development@lists.sourceforge.net>, joi@media.mit.edu
Subject: Re: [Bitcoin-development] Why Bitcoin is and isn't like the Internet
Precedence: list

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Bitcoin has a major crossroad ahead regarding a suitable platform for the
average non technical main stream user. Until now the majority of the
available solutions were at two extremes, or DIY your security and privacy
*OR* let a 3rd party service do it for you. The DIY solution is obviously
not scalable, but it seems that 3rd party solutions are not scalable as
well. If we compare for a second a 3rd party services with traditional
banks, it seems banks have two major "advantages" over them. Entry costs
for creating a bank are HUGE so a priori very few people can actually
create such a service, second, their physical and IT security
infrastructure are heavily regulated which insures a minimum of security
level to the end user (and even so money is stolen frequently). Entry costs
and regulation do not exist in the bitcoin space, meaning two programers in
their spare time can create a wallet/ platform and the non technical end
user cannot know if his money is safe, did they hire the right security
expert, did they invest enough in protecting and backing up his keys, etc.

Many services tried to tackle those problems with multisig (2 of 2 and 2 of
3) to create a syntactical 2 factor authentication/ authorisation mechanism
but in reality those solutions didn't really increase security and their
failure point is always a single device. Coupling those said problems with
the fact that bitcoin transactions are irreversible and are a scarce
commodity, trying to insure them the way our money is insured by the
government when we deposit it in the bank becomes a huge problem. Premiums
will be very high and will only grow as the appetite of hackers to steal
coins increase.

I personally believe we have the tools for creating a platform that is both
secure and private but most importantly it does it in a decentralised way.
Creating true 2 (or more) factor authentication/ authorisation schemes can
improve dramatically personal security to a point where 3rd party wallet
services will become a thing of the past. Succeeding in that will mean the
next billion non technical bitcoin users will have a platform to use
securely and a base line for building cool services on top.

Alon Muroch
bitcoinauthenticator.org

>
>

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<div dir=3D"ltr">Bitcoin has a major crossroad ahead regarding a suitable p=
latform for the average non technical main stream user. Until now the major=
ity of the available solutions were at two extremes, or DIY your security a=
nd privacy=C2=A0<b>OR</b>=C2=A0let a 3rd party service do it for you. The D=
IY solution is obviously not scalable, but it seems that 3rd party solution=
s are not scalable as well. If we compare for a second a 3rd party services=
 with traditional banks, it seems banks have two major &quot;advantages&quo=
t; over them. Entry costs for creating a bank are HUGE so a priori very few=
 people can actually create such a service, second, their physical and IT s=
ecurity infrastructure are heavily regulated which insures a minimum of sec=
urity level to the end user (and even so money is stolen frequently). Entry=
 costs and regulation do not exist in the bitcoin space, meaning two progra=
mers in their spare time can create a wallet/ platform and the non technica=
l end user cannot know if his money is safe, did they hire the right securi=
ty expert, did they invest enough in protecting and backing up his keys, et=
c.<div><br></div><div>Many services tried to tackle those problems with mul=
tisig (2 of 2 and 2 of 3) to create a syntactical 2 factor authentication/ =
authorisation mechanism but in reality those solutions didn&#39;t really in=
crease security and their failure point is always a single device. Coupling=
 those said problems with the fact that bitcoin transactions are irreversib=
le and are a scarce commodity, trying to insure them the way our money is i=
nsured by the government when we deposit it in the bank becomes a huge prob=
lem. Premiums will be very high and will only grow as the appetite of hacke=
rs to steal coins increase.</div><div><br></div><div>I personally believe w=
e have the tools for creating a platform that is both secure and private bu=
t most importantly it does it in a decentralised way. Creating true 2 (or m=
ore) factor authentication/ authorisation schemes can improve dramatically =
personal security to a point where 3rd party wallet services will become a =
thing of the past. Succeeding in that will mean the next billion non techni=
cal bitcoin users will have a platform to use securely and a base line for =
building cool services on top.</div><div>=C2=A0</div><div class=3D"gmail_ex=
tra"><div class=3D"gmail_quote">Alon Muroch</div><div class=3D"gmail_quote"=
><a href=3D"http://bitcoinauthenticator.org/">bitcoinauthenticator.org</a><=
/div></div><div class=3D"gmail_extra"><div class=3D"gmail_quote"><blockquot=
e class=3D"gmail_quote" style=3D"margin:0 0 0 .8ex;border-left:1px #ccc sol=
id;padding-left:1ex"><br></blockquote></div><br><div class=3D"gmail_signatu=
re"><div dir=3D"ltr"><div><div dir=3D"ltr"><div style=3D"direction:ltr"><di=
v style=3D"font-size:small"></div></div></div></div></div></div>
</div></div>

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