nick

Unveiling the latest frostsnap devices sometime this week 🔜
A small step in our radical shift for bitcoin self-custody tech.
Nostr gets to see it first

2024-05-15 12:00:09

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cooking

2024-05-15 07:20:16

FROSTSNAP APP LOOKING FROSTY

2024-05-09 07:08:01

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wtf is superex

2024-05-08 05:58:05

locking in
https://m.primal.net/IEVN.png

2024-05-07 17:46:53

# Regulatory Compliant Privacy - 'Crypto's Trojan Horse
Privacy Pools: A Symmetry of Evil
https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=4563364
A seemingly good-willed idea guides a protocol towards warped ends:
> *Users should have the freedom to prove their funds are not associated with terrorism.*
Regulatory compliant privacy tools such as Privacy Pools aim to allow users to achieve financial privacy whilst also being able to "demonstrate their funds originate through lawful sources".
This is achieved through
`
> *... proving membership in custom **association sets** that satisfy certain properties, required by regulation or social consensus.*
By hiding your funds among other honest users in a chosen association set, Privacy Pools aim to
> .. be a first step towards a future where people could prove regulatory compliance without having to reveal their entire transaction history
### Freedom-of-Dissociation or Proof-of-Innocence?
In commentary surrounding the proposal, authors reiterate that Privacy Pools allow for ***"freedom of dissociation"*** and are absolutely not ***"proof-of-innocence"***.
But is this distinction really so meaningful?
Privacy pools are presented as an opt-in, free-choice of association:
> "we let the user provide a set of possible origins of their funds, and this set can be as wide or as narrow as they wish."
With a market of different association sets to suit different user preferences!
> "we encourage an ecosystem to form that makes it easier for users to specify association sets that align with their preference"
Authors dismiss "Proof-of-innocence" as just a meme. This is a forced defense, since they realize any protocol that abandons the well established principle of [presumption of innocence](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Presumption_of_innocence) is an instant concession in the fight for privacy.
So instead, privacy pools are marketed as a protocol for free association with *membership proofs*.
https://m.primal.net/IELe.png
**Yet the Privacy pool paper itself acknowledges that there is no real difference between membership proofs and guilt-assumed *exclusion proofs**!
### Onchain Regulation: Enter Troy
Given the systemic surveillance obligations within today's financial system, it seems more than likely that the boundary of what's considered "acceptable" for Privacy Pool membership will encroach far beyond funds related to terrorism.
If Privacy Pools (or another proof-of-innocence protocol) were widespread, cryptocurrency users would likely be compelled into proving relation to association/dissociation sets if they desire to interact with the existing financial system. Such as selling via an exchange.
With Privacy Pools, regulators can claim there is no infringement on user privacy, while simultaneously pushing to outlaw onchain privacy for particular groups:
* Funds only linked to Know Your Customer (KYC) labelled accounts.
* Funds from users that do not engage with "unlicensed securities" or derivatives.
* Funds from users who are known tax payers.
* Funds not linked to purchasing X, or guilty of supporting Y (e.g. political groups/wikileaks/scihub/whatever).
With a widespread Privacy Pool ecosystem, regulated exchanges would easily be pressured into adopting whatever onchain behaviour rulebook the State deemed appropriate at that point in time.
Some use cases suggested by authors:
* A 7 day time block on funds before being able to spend privately
* An $N/month withdrawal limit attached to "either a government-backed national ID system, or a lighter mechanism such as social media account verification" (actual quote)
* "Real-time AI-based scoring" 🪄... lmao
The evil symmetry of Privacy Pools is gift to those wanting to separate what they perceive as `illegal` and `llegal` privacy for cryptocurrency.
>"... Users will subscribe to intermediaries that we can call association set providers (ASPs) ..."
Keep your privacy! *but any transaction that doesn't use our Government Approved Association Set (tm) is now illegal!
## Bilateral Direct Proofs: AML with Cryptographic Larping
Another use-case mentioned in the paper is "Bilateral Direct Proofs" where a user creates an association set containing only themselves, effectively delinking them from the anonymous pool. This is the zero privacy case which acts as a traditional source of funds.
The "advanced option" of this direct proof is a zero knowledge proof that the funds are:
(i) either present in this tiny association set
OR
(ii) this proof was produced by the bank themselves.
Since only the bank knows they did not create the proof themselves, only the bank can verify the source of funds. This is meant to add some privacy if the source-of-funds proofs were to fall into the wrong hands (read: State).
However the realistic scenario is that the government will just ask the fucking bank whether they produced this ZKP, which they will comply "NO", and the Government gains a direct delinkage of funds to any account.
But hey, Zero Knowledge Proofs!! Freedom of association!
## Further Mysteries with Privacy Pools
In terms of the *actual privacy* of Privacy Pools, repeated overlapping participation in different association sets can leak insights which may help deanonymize a user.
The authors just barely acknowledge this:
```
We strongly recommend that at least the Merkle root of the
association set should be published on-chain; this removes the
ability for malicious ASPs to engage in certain types of attacks
against users (e.g., giving different users different association
sets in an attempt to deanonymize them).
```
This makes one question how can there be an "ecosystem" that "makes it easier for users to specify association sets", unless they are expected to be completely segregated.
This privacy loss from overlapping association sets is neither elaborated nor quantified.
## Do Not Concede
Privacy Pool research was motivated by the ongoing persecution of Tornado Cash developers, the authors noting
>The critical issue with Tornado Cash was essentially that legitimate users had limited options to dissociate from the criminal activity the protocol attracted.
Developers being incarcerated for building privacy tools is absolutely alarming, but it is clear that Privacy Pools and regulatory compliant privacy are a serious misplay in the context of historic challenges against privacy and software free speech.
Mechanisms which divide the population into guilty or non-guilty render such a privacy protocol ripe for abuse.
Guilt, suspicion, or guilty association can not be inferred from a person's desire for privacy.
This is a right that must be defended.

2024-05-07 17:25:33

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do html tags <b>work</b>

2024-05-01 08:24:29

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🤣 actual hammering sounds, zero consistency and rhythm

2024-05-01 06:13:23

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definitely multisig w 24 words each

2024-05-01 06:10:23

Someone in the apartment above decided to start hammering out their seedphrase at 6am

2024-04-24 15:18:16

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ive fought those battles

2024-04-24 04:22:03

we keep finding skeletons in the closets of Bitcoin company github repositories lol
dead code for shitcoin support, missing implementations, misleading marketing..
distractions, onwards 🧗‍♂️

2024-04-23 16:54:58

how much nostr event POW can we get with the latest frostsnap devices 🤔

2024-04-23 16:50:28

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need to keep collecting these
https://m.primal.net/HyzZ.png
https://m.primal.net/HyzZ.png

2024-04-23 16:45:43

the most retarded bitcoin security advice can be found on reddit

2024-04-22 17:43:03

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bitcoin has so many more big brains yelling eureka

2024-04-22 13:11:03

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BUSHBASH CONTENT?!

2024-04-21 16:56:24

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big sleep propaganda

2024-04-21 06:12:11

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would be a shame if someone federated onchain funds 👀

2024-04-21 06:08:38

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very tough very punk beverage for american men to getoffzero their water intake

2024-04-18 09:06:14

Why is the encoding for [note.., npub..., nsec...] in NIP-19 bech32 instead of bech32m?
https://github.com/nostr-protocol/nips/blob/master/19.md

2024-04-18 07:41:27

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gui~! bloat!!! 😂

2024-04-18 07:14:26

If you want to clear up space on your linux btw machine, run
ncdu /
https://m.primal.net/Hwgd.png

2024-04-18 06:42:49

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a methyst!

2024-04-18 06:24:53

https://m.primal.net/Hwfx.png

2024-04-16 06:41:50

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https://bchblockexplorer.com/address/1SendNickBitcoin777777777778j1LcQ

2024-04-16 06:39:51

bitcoin cash is a testnet

2024-04-14 12:34:21

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it's called Love on the Spectrum

2024-04-13 04:52:04

Frostsnap is bringing improvements to the entire Bitcoin experience.
For the digital gold HODLers, and the P2P cash enjoyers,
For the new bitcoiners, and the shadowy super coders.
For those who need simplicity, and for those who always verify.
https://frostsnap.com/introducing-frostsnap.html

2024-04-12 20:59:36

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simply increase POW filter to 21
https://www.getwired.app/

2024-04-12 07:37:54

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fixed - do we really need sims
https://m.primal.net/HuCP.png

2024-04-12 06:07:37

rust -> android: dependency of a dependency refuses to build on x86_64-linux-android now i cant get the frostsnap apk to build for testing on my phone

2024-04-12 05:58:47

"shitcoin" is super effective

2024-04-11 13:08:18

"irresponsibly all-in" doesn't have the same ring as irresponsibly long, but best to not use leverage

2024-04-10 15:16:25

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nice all peers accepted low fee channel closes

2024-04-10 02:15:34

AUSTRALIA: wHeRe wIlL We pUt tHe nUcElAr wAsTe?
PUT IT IN MY BACKYARD
https://m.primal.net/HtCf.mp4

2024-04-09 08:41:13

2024 shitcoins: imagine we took the continuum limit of high stakes coin flipping and added a funny name

2024-04-09 08:04:49

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what monty python does to a mf

2024-04-09 04:56:37

they were so real for this
https://m.primal.net/HsnO.png

2024-04-09 04:38:50

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a bitcoin

2024-04-09 04:20:20

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Signed addresses / list of known payees?
we want to do this

2024-04-08 04:05:51

looks like 2024 is set to be the frostiest year on record gm https://m.primal.net/HsTI.jpg

2024-04-07 10:41:44

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there are a lot of smart people in these spaces, i can fix them!

2024-04-07 10:40:56

might go see a comedy show this week (ethereum meetup)

2024-04-07 09:28:36

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PINEAPPLE EATS YOU

2024-04-05 06:32:52

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This node has been used in the creation and testing of the satsale app in 2021, making a mess of the env trying to learn docker.
And more recently in creation of the nolooking app, where @npub1yev…qrkl + I opened many lightning channels in single transactions, some failing in weird states during development
Only hardware failure has been the sd card. That took a while to fix because "solutions" that assert your harddrive is corrupted are big storage propaganda

2024-04-05 06:08:09

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It's a rpi4, only actual hardware failure so far has been the SD card

2024-04-05 05:54:05

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it has served me well, but ive tortured this node beyond point of comfort in keeping funds on it

2024-04-05 05:31:12

My tortured umbrel node is almost done resyncing.
Going to check the force close damage and finally put it out of it's misery https://m.primal.net/HrVf.png

2024-04-04 08:13:00

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Love the support cashu style.
Satsale's base style definitely needs some attention, but with desire to preserve this easy customization!
I have a bunch of minor style patches I occasionally put on.
PRd some general minor improvements
https://github.com/SatSale/SatSale/pull/173

2024-04-04 08:08:59

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Hopefully something in the logs, if the logs aren't showing anything useful then perhaps you may be experiencing https://github.com/SatSale/SatSale/pull/88

2024-04-03 06:49:15

i want us all to have self-custody lightning addresses and zaps
https://github.com/SatSale/SatSale/issues/135
This is what a SatSale config looks like
https://m.primal.net/Hqpp.png

2024-04-03 05:52:35

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https://m.primal.net/HqpQ.png

2024-03-28 04:59:54

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from the @npub12jz…rq88 collection, it's a bird app

2024-03-28 04:57:43

the professor
https://m.primal.net/Hozn.webp
and the student
https://m.primal.net/Hozl.webp

2024-03-28 04:30:58

multisig nostr for individuals doesn't make heaps of sense, it is huge for organizations though. Maybe a personal 2-of-3 could be OK (phone+device, or PC+device).
Key rotation based in mathematics is the killer application, but lots to be done. Keep your same npub

2024-03-26 12:57:00

i only occasionally listen to podcasts but damn does Citadel Dispatch keep producing insanely high signal episodes that i simply must watch

2024-03-26 11:14:15

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Often i spend far more time responding than time they have spent on thinking.
Sometimes people ask something, then instantly subconsciously realise they dont want to follow through, but you invest time into responding
Maybe there is a social element, that humans think more about a question once we have involved others? (bullish on bitdevs)

2024-03-26 11:05:56

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how can we push them into action? or must it truly come from within?

2024-03-26 11:04:54

most people who ask for resources or advice are just looking for affirmation

2024-03-26 10:39:04

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covid hysteria made this 200x worse

2024-03-21 05:27:42

gm whoever made the first GM using blind signatures #gmprotocol
#note1ehh…jhax

2024-03-21 05:25:32

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this one took me days

2024-03-21 05:24:12

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thank you, i will cherish this

2024-03-20 14:50:19

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GM elsat

2024-03-20 14:48:24

wtf did i miss
GM

2024-03-20 14:36:40

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you don't like navigating a million niche text channels and receiving a billion spam notifications every day?

2024-03-19 11:20:22

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goals, what did you post

2024-03-19 07:02:20

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trust me when i say this,
my machines suffer

2024-03-18 20:21:36

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hahaha yeah i was wondering why it wasn't showing, wasn't just your end. First time using zap.stream it so I think it should appear next time / after a refresh!
We have crazy ideas for ecash, but we've got more important tasks to complete first 🫡

2024-03-17 14:28:03

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Zaps are already interactive with zap receipts, but it would be nice if they weren't
https://github.com/nostr-protocol/nips/blob/master/57.md#appendix-e-zap-receipt-event

2024-03-16 07:03:33

"There are no women on the internet"
Unwelcoming.
Dead meme.
Relatively rare exceptions.
------
"There are no men on Nostr"
Intriguing.
Inviting to women.
Self-fulfilling.

2024-03-16 07:03:18

there are no men on Nostr

2024-03-15 16:53:22

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latest prototypes are not ai manufactured and are not globular 🤫

2024-03-15 16:44:07

btw there's a sneak peek of latest frostsnap prototypes in one of the recent images i shared

2024-03-15 16:41:08

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For coin/stable interoperability, why can't wallets just hook into those instant swap sites that support lightning? That's what I did for satsale LN --> usdt (liquid xpub) and it has been a relatively popular feature.
Might look into adding a similar gateway within frostsnap app. Send/receive anything, keep balance in BTC

2024-03-15 16:37:52

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bullish on fee insurance and fee market derivatives!
cool my estimate for number of ppl who self-custody bitcoin is 5 million also
https://m.primal.net/HlJR.png
we gotta pump these numbers up

2024-03-15 16:37:23

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Thinking again, why lock rather than encrypt?
1) encrypt an ecash token to a pubkey, send in note
2) recipient decrypts, claims, and reveals the decryption in another note such that everyone can see the zap.
Probably been discussed elsewhere, i havent been following any ecash-zap commentary.

2024-03-15 15:37:43

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that makes it less cash-like imo, what if i want to redeem it without my pubkey? Or forward it to someone else without redeeming

2024-03-15 15:24:29

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I AM TEAM POLLOFEED

2024-03-15 14:55:47

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Makes sense for MITM thefts, but love the idea that the text is cash. Don't pass it to randoms!

2024-03-15 14:45:56

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were you the one that posted the cashu token with the extra character? I claimed it, think i replied but you mightnt have seen 😅https://m.primal.net/HlIK.png

2024-03-15 14:41:27

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You could plug in multiple signers, but it is best practice to only sign on one device at a time. Have them geographically separated or in the hands of different people. Otherwise if you bring a threshold number together, you're vulnerable to wrench attacks!
Running multiple signing sessions in parallel with different combinations of signers is an interesting idea that people have discussed to alleviate this "choice of signer problem" (it's actually not much of a problem, just a difference to existing multisig).
It does grow if you have a large group, for t-of-n,
(n-1)! / ((t-1)! * (n - t)!)
Possible combinations after the first signer.
Only 6 combinations for a 3-of-5.
But 126 combinations for a 5-of-10.

2024-03-15 09:56:43

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Great question! One of the (extremely few) downsides with FROST is that you have to choose which signers will be participating at the start of the signing session.
The signing quorum signs under an agreed set of nonces belonging to the signing participants:
In this case, {nonce from device "Stay", nonce from device "Frosty"}
and you can't change this halfway though the signing session.
You elude an interesting idea though, the app could auto-detect at least the first signer and only make you select the other t-1 signers.

2024-03-15 09:50:04

w2c hardcore secret keys
https://m.primal.net/HlEL.png

2024-03-14 18:55:30

pleblab stream good, high builder alpha
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TCNG_paWSrI

2024-03-14 18:52:03

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aha mystery solved 🕵
#note1cyu…n8vm

2024-03-13 09:40:01

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You could in theory do this offline. The device firmware itself and the interactiveness benefits (with phone/laptop coordinator) with FROST are more important for security!