This is my first post here, please be gentle! I'm no crypto specialist, so the public key part I refer to may be totally out of line, I hope not. I've been reading this list for a month or so and I'm drawing my conclusions about the key from that. Let's break anonymous digital cash down into two problems. 1. Anonymous place to store funds. 2. Ability to get funds out of anonymous account to either any other account or any individual/company. 1. You will need a place that not only you trust, but that the people you are dealing with will trust. This place must be accessible physically as well as electronically. Physically so I can walk in and deposit money anonymously (so there is no electronic trail), and also so that I can give money to people who have no computer. I want to be able to give something to someone and they will be able to take that to this place and get money for it. I won't get into why it has to be accessible electronically. I'll call this place a bank. The only way to get money out of the account would be with a PGP like signature. I set the private key when I open the account. The public keys would be designed to incorporate the amount of the e-check I'm writing. When you go to the bank to cash in your key, the key is recorded so it can't be used again, and the bank gives the money to the key holder. The keys would have to have something built into them to make them unique so that you could write a key for the same amount more than once. 2. So now I've got this anonymous source of funds, I want to buy something. If I'm buying it over the net, I could send an order for something via an anonymous account to the provider using PGP. It's important to protect the money key, because whoever has the key, can get the money. Now the service provider sends me my stuff via a reply to the anonymous e-mail. I get my stuff, they get their money and there is no way to determine who is who. The service provider can be known or unknown, doesn't matter. All that matters is that they get my order and my money key. Obviously, this only works if you are dealing in person or electronically. I can't send you a request for a box of rocks and not tell you where to send them. But I could use my pocket electronic check book to write a key for the amount of a purchase at a store. The cash register could read that key and confirm it's validity and amount and actually complete the transfer of funds immediately. I think banks would go for this because they get the float on our money, they don't have to pay interest, and they don't have to send monthly statements. They are already in the business of moving money, so I don't believe there would be any additional expenses to set this up other than the key readers. Safe, as convenient as a check, and anonymous. Have I missed anything? -- Jim Callen Voice: (617) 275-3427 Collaborative Biomedical Products FAX: (617) 275-3436 Becton Dickinson Internet: jim@cbpi.com Two Oak Park Bedford, MA 01730