Date: Mon, 16 Aug 93 22:25:47 PDT To: cypherpunks@toad.com Subject: PROTOCOL: Encrypted Open Books From: hfinney@shell.portal.com Status: OR
Eric had some good ideas in his protocol for verifying anonymous bank deposits. One thing wasn't clear to me: what if the bank creates a fake account?
It would seem that the bank could explain away a sudden decrease in its asset reserves (money that the bank officers actually spent on mistresses and drugs) by creating a fake anonymous account which made a large with- drawal. The books would still balance.
It wasn't clear to me in Eric's protocol whether it would be expected that the identity of accounts which made such withdrawals would be revealed. Doing so would seem to go against the purpose of the digital bank. But without that ability it would seem that fake accounts could cover up any amount of mismanagement.
Hal
Boycott "Big Brother Inside" software! We got computers, we're tapping phone lines, we know that that ain't allowed. ---------:---------:---------:---------:---------:---------:---------:---- Timothy C. May | Crypto Anarchy: encryption, digital money, tcmay@got.net 408-728-0152 | anonymous networks, digital pseudonyms, zero W.A.S.T.E.: Corralitos, CA | knowledge, reputations, information markets, Licensed Ontologist | black markets, collapse of governments. "National borders aren't even speed bumps on the information superhighway."