rah@shipwright.com (Robert Hettinga) writes:
I suppose what I meant was is there any fully identified offline digital cash system in the literature. I haven't heard of any from secondary sources, like around here, or from my cursory reading of Schneier, for instance.
"Fully identified cash" is not widely discussed in the literature because it is (relatively) trivial, and here because it is not privacy protecting. "Fully identified cash" is equivalent to a check made out to "cash". All you need is a signed directive to your bank to transfer money from your account number such-and-such to the bearer. Such "cash" can be used on-line if the receiver sends it to the bank right away and gets confirmation that the money has been transferred from your account (that there were sufficient funds to cover the check, etc.). It can be used off-line if the receiver checks your ID so that he knows if the check bounces he can sue you or press charges. See? You already have all the technical requirements for your fully identified cash by firing up PGP or RIPEM. Just find a bank which will honor your signed messages. The CommerceNet people implied that such payment options might be forthcoming. Hal