-----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE----- Hash: SHA1 On 08/25/2015 01:32 AM, jim bell wrote: [...]
That technology is known as smart contracts—small computer programs that can do things like execute financial trades or notarize documents in a legal agreement. Intended to take the place of third-party human administrators such as lawyers, which are required in many deals and agreements, they can verify information and hold or use funds using similar cryptography to that which underpins Bitcoin.
[...]
One example is a contract offering a cryptocurrency reward for hacking a particular website. Ethereum’s programming language makes it possible for the contract to control the promised funds. It will release them only to someone who provides proof of having carried out the job, in the form of a cryptographically verifiable string added to the defaced site.
[...]
Contracts with a similar design could be used to commission many kinds of crime, say the researchers. Most provocatively, they outline a version designed to arrange the assassination of a public figure. A person wishing to claim the bounty would have to send information such as the time and place of the killing in advance. The contract would pay out after verifying that those details had appeared in several trusted news sources, such as news wires. A similar approach could be used for lesser physical crimes, such as high-profile vandalism.
My first thought: What's to prevent the markets for contract hits on websites and public figures from being monitored by potential victims, and the bounties stolen by 'anonymous' parties, a.k.a. the proposed victims themselves, by simulating the trigger conditions for payouts? Really unpopular people could anonymously crowdfund actions against themselves then collect the loot, a nearly perfect crime. Ultimately, human judgment must have veto power over the automated decision processes - which would void the concept of an impersonal, automated payout process, bringing the reinvented wheel full circle. :o) -----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE----- Version: GnuPG v1 iQIcBAEBAgAGBQJV3BDZAAoJEDZ0Gg87KR0LCmUQAJld9tv40ZRzAtqPtm/0Y4iW 5EbXaL/3Jj4EKmzl4vAfd535sLmOmbsWaRuiYZhiqFqVeL6nPPiDbsZfzOnaCZ7u /vGEsOZDSmFQxseTn/ndQeW40gQ0Y9xHE2KVmA07NsGeeUiPzWZ66G5df42wdZqi Pot0VYPHbO69akous6bW24uel0tZGsL/rZ2LxZNG6T60BObeHlj+XaHwQb+Q0zrS vMjtp6FrVtuWzaaRUyjBB4bYpCzGLnaVcH4BLItxudDLAlZmo5cPlBzpcKlV5k59 Bezi9FoA//OzPJOyBbzRlMAWmhjcqaH8VpKEYqtWcR/FbQvvoxecFwB4ajmPesvZ xi1QzTd502IJQ2vbD0kUqlyxU/eKtK7EEgcn64sVWMUjw9hs3/qNcmnT0YMCxGm1 yh4COwYqcFfQVKZsLrBGo7pryDRNTkbn19sT2naBLesa60Y1nq3/V6i5ueoXV32p HOr9QIvSprNyYv7hD2H8nQtyHtW9vLxjXRH6nUASuLUoZIBplLxiWdqNrBGrf8gS Zcdsd7ljXFkeuiZ2YcwtBE36geDtA1JEXCu/9GImJ99GaU+LeibMDsswTlaH7ANl RszCerqhYeC1zpSKFKVksM6YZ+R2+DiknNsos4vgKxzuqTGB5uCia39J5O7mwwk3 8xOByBoOdrEF6EM8h/eP =KVGk -----END PGP SIGNATURE-----