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2012-02-25T13:26:43Z

X: Undo revision 24241 by Zhoucn9999 (talk)

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2012-02-25T13:26:29Z

X: Undo revision 24242 by Zhoucn9999 (talk)

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2012-02-25T13:25:58Z

X: Undo revision 24243 by Zhoucn9999 (talk)

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2012-01-24T19:55:15Z

X: Undo revision 22636 by Casinostars (talk)

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2012-01-24T19:54:57Z

X: Undo revision 22637 by Casinostars (talk)

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Talk:Securing your wallet

2012-01-08T17:20:05Z

The article is too huge. The Mac solution does not scale; the suggested sizes are too low and the maximum size is infinite. [[User:X|X]] 17:10, 8 January 2012 (GMT)

This article needs a rewrite following the introduction of the Bitcoin.org client's ability to passphrase protect the keys in the wallet. Perhaps some sections also -- something like "typical consumer use" (where the client's encryption is adequate) and "commercial-grade protection" where the topics such as encryption at the filesystem is addressed. - [[User:Sgornick|Sgornick]] 10:24, 28 December 2011 (GMT)

The five paragraphs in Technical Background all say the same thing. --[[User:Mcandre|Mcandre]]

Note: the backupwallet.sh script in the linux section doesn't actually work.
I suspect it is caused by the wiki changing the formatting.
I wrote my own version that uses much more standard shell syntax.

[[User:Wscott|Wscott]] 11:28, 11 February 2011 (GMT)

I fixed the backupwallet.sh script. It just needed a nowiki tag around a conditional statement. -- [[User:Mweather|Mweather]] 23:48, 20 May 2011 (GMT)

The approach for "Making a secure workspace" seems to differ greatly for linux and mac. Why? It seems like if you are going to make firefox secure, which is basically all the linux section recommends, you would want to do that on a mac too. And the recommendation in the mac section to keep the wallet in an encrypted volume with a symlink in the expected system location should be done on a linux box too, shouldn't it, like using truecrypt or something... Am I wrong??? Can someone with advanced knowledge please advise...? Also, if you want bitcoin to run all the time in the background on linux, but you have it set up in a separate user from your main user account, well, you are out of luck? Can justifications and explanations be added to the recommendations, and also I guess some alternatives with pros and cons be offered, for people with different needs and computing situations. Thanks! --[[User:GusGustavo|GusGustavo]] 13:33, 26 May 2011 (GMT)

== Time Sensitivity ==

Is it possible to still send money to my wallet, even if it's backed up and offline? Do bitcoins ever expire if they're not spent, or is there anything bad that can happen by not using my bitcoin client in a long time? [[User:Daniel.benoy|Daniel.benoy]] 23:18, 8 June 2011 (GMT)

== How often is it needed to backup the Wallet? ==

Is it necessary to make a backup after each transaction? This page is not clear about this.
Please add this information to the page!

== Creating a New Wallet ==

This section isn't helpful; it tells you when to create a new wallet, but not how. I'm a new user, and the wallet was created when I installed the BitCoin program. I will find out how to create a new wallet, and then edit this section so that it actually explains the task that it sets out to explain. :-) [[User:ErgoOne|ErgoOne]] 15:19, 9 June 2011 (GMT)

== Making a secure workspace ==

For me space needed in ~/Library/Application Support/Bitcoin (Mac) is more than 400MB (!) after having loaded all blocks from bitcoin app. So 100MB is much too small (may be sufficient for just wallet.dat, but then the steps to do had to be changed). [[User:Hartrock|Hartrock]] 18:48, 12 June 2011 (GMT)

I updated the wiki steps to just backup wallet.dat --[[User:ChocoboLee|ChocoboLee]] 19:18, 15 June 2011 (GMT)

== Flaws with argument regarding encryption ==

Can someone please explain to me how encrypting your wallet will actually protect against a trojan stealing it. Because once you mount the encrypted file, and decrypt it not only can bitcoin see it but the trojan can as well. This strategy seems to work only in the following circumstances:
1. The wallet that has the majority of your cash you never decrypt when you have an open internet connection.
2. Assumes that a trojan only operates when an internet connection is present and it can transmit the wallet data file.

Even if you were paranoid and never were connected to the internet when the wallet file with the bulk of your funds was decrypted this still would not solve the problem. In the event that a trojan seeks to copy your wallet file to another location on your computer it could wait for an open internet connection to transmit this data. So even if you reencrypt the wallet file before connecting to the internet this type of trojan has already made a copy of the decrypted file and can transmit it as soon as an internet connection becomes available.

Also how in the world could you ever use this wallet to transfer cash to another user if you are offline? Maybe I don't understand how bitcoin works but don't you need to be online in order to transfer bitcoins? Basically the bottom line is that bitcoin cannot read an encrypted wallet file which means that in order to use the wallet you need to decrypt it which means its vulnerable to trojans who can steal it the moment you want to use it.

This seems to be a fundamental flaw in this discussion "securing your wallet" Why doesn't bitcoin just address this in the software allowing for the wallet to always be encrypted and require a password upon startup. If you want bitcoin to go mainstream I don't understand why you can't address this fundamental flaw that would be solved by an always encrypted wallet file that the software can read and write to.

::The fundamental flaw is trying to secure the wallet when the whole system is already technically compromised. It does not help to have a secure wallet then. What a trojan could do is, for example, to replace the bitcoin client by a sligthly changed one that usually works as expected, but once in a while sends the money to an address which is owned by the attacker. The people you think you pay will become angry because the money you think to send never does arrive at them. Of course, the malicious client can be intelligent enough to wait until the is some real amount of coins in the play. One day you'll think you bought a car but the money is somewhere else. The same applies, for example, if the payment addresses you receive are modified by some malicious e-mail program.

::So what is the bottom line? Encrypting the wallet helps against a roommate stealing your coins if he has two minutes of physical access to your computer. It helps against burglary and forgetting the laptop in the train. It generally does NOT help against compromise of the system. The '''whole''' system '''must''' be kept safe, not just the data in the wallet. And this is not something that the bitcoin software is responsible for. It is the responsibility of the user to install and maintain a secure system. It is a fundamental fallacy to expect that a certain piece of software should still work as the user expects if the whole system is not any more under the control of the user. In this sense, bitcoin can not go mainstream. Instead, main stream users need to reach some point of mental sanity. --[[User:Joise|Joise]] 09:14, 14 August 2011 (GMT)

====Added a new entry to backup methods====
[[WalletPaperbackup]] Is a great way to get your wallet out of the digital world and onto paper
--[[User:Jrwr|Jrwr]] 02:02, 24 June 2011 (GMT)

== Unsecure suggestion for passwords ==

Especially with Bitcoins the Password advice from Gibson Research is dangerous because passwords must
also be safe in the future when it comes to wallet storing.
This is definitely not given with this system. It might be true, that
with today's brute-force tools, the "d0g..........." pw is safer than
hkjhHZ756s=&g%7 but in the very near future (maybe already exists)
there will be new tools, that will find out, what kind of simplifiers
are often used by humans and will combine brutforce with simplifiers
and thus come to "d0g............" very quickly!

== Section 4.2 ==
If you recommend that one backup wallet.dat on a mac via creating an encrypted image file, don't you think you should also remind the user to backup his ~/Library/Keychains directory? There is little point in backing up wallet.dmg on Wuala or whatever if you lose your AES key to the image, and the scenario when you need to recover wallet.dmg is probably the scenario where you've also lost ~/Library/Keychains... e.g. laptop stolent, etc.

== Back-Translation of German Version ==

Hi,

I have translated the page to the German Version, expanded it by several points and concepts which seem important to me - namely, a disticion between data confidentality, system integrity and the notion of technical compromise, and adapted the ordering according to these concepts. Here is the back-translated version as a suggestion what could be expanded. I've translated it quickly using Google Translate, that means wording and style can't be expected to be perfect. Nevertheless, I hope it's helpful. --[[User:Joise|Joise]] 09:14, 14 August 2011 (GMT)

----

=== Introduction ===
The security of the wallet can be divided into two separate objectives:

1. Safeguard against loss

2. Secure against theft

In the case of a currently not adequately secured wallet (eg with a weak password uploaded on the Internet):

3. New, create a mew secure wallet (with a reasonably long password)

=== Technical background ===
The important first objective of the design of the wallet is protection against data loss. The personal bitcoin wallet has a pool of queued keys stored in a file named wallet.dat. The default number is 100 keys in the [[Key Pool | Key pool.]] The number of can be adjusted with the "-keypool" parameter in the command line. If for some reason you need a new address, it is not generated on the fly, but taken from the pool. A new key is then created to fill the pool back to 100 keys. If a backup is first created, it contains all used keys plus 100 unused ones. After a transaction, 99 unused keys remain. After 100 operations which require a new key, new keys are used, which are not present in the backup. Because the backup does not have these new keys, this backup can possibly lead to a recovery loss of Bitcoins if the wallet file is destroyed, for example by a head crash.

The safety of deposits in Bitcoin depends on three conditions:
# The '''confidentiality (secrecy)''' of the private key for the entire time from initial production to final use
# The '''integrity''' of the software on the system used.
# As well as the '''protection from loss of wallet''' eg by failure of the hard disk

The bitcoin software assumes (for very good reasons) that integrity and confidentality of the computer and user account is intact. The reason for this is that, strictly spoken, securing the computer is not the business of some application software like bitcoin. A computer which has not '''both''' its confidentiality '''and''' integrity ensured, is '''compromised'''. This means, that it can not longer be excluded that Bitcoins are stolen. A computer on which '''malware''' in the form of some trojan is installed or which runs any virus, is always compromised. All data - including the bitcoin wallet - could be "stolen". On the other hand - and this is far more far-reaching and important - the other software on the computer is absolutely no longer under control of the user. A compromised system can '''only''' be brought back to a safe condition if it is completely erased, fully installed with a fresh operating system and all new security updates are applied. A "disinfection" of virus-infected programs is not enough! Erasing the old, compromised system can also mean it is necessary to flash the BIOS and do a BIOS update - there is some malware which modifies the BIOS.

A password that belongs to a data backup must be permanently protected from loss just like the files themselves, otherwise in case of doubt the backup is worthless.

=== Securing the confidentiality and integrity of the Wallet and Software ===

==== Creating a New Wallet ====

In the event that the wallet was possibly or actually stored in a compromised state, or spreaded, it is wise to create a new wallet and to transfer all money amounts in the old wallet to the new. Once this is done, someone who has attained knowledge of the old private keys, can not longer use them to steal bitcoins. Keep in mind that leaked keys can be used much later from their generation. For example, if you generate some keys to day, transfer them to a new computer in three years, and throw the old computer in ten years to the trash, and it still contains keys that you have created today, these could still be used to access bitcoins that you received in the meantime.

Creating a new wallet can be useful, for example, if someone has saved a wallet with a password of 12 characters for a service online. Meanwhile, passwords with 12 up to about 15 characters are decoded and the private keys are no longer safe. The strategy only to re-encrypt the wallet is not enough, because the keys are not safe.

==== Creating a safe and secure work space ====

Large and complex programs like Web browsers are never completely safe. Therefore, it is extremely useful, not to run the Bitcoin client program with the user identity that you use to surf the Web or read e-mails. The modern operating systems can isolate applications for different user IDs from each other quite effectively, and this is a huge advantage to security.

===== Digression: Secure Passwords =====

====== Passwords ======
A proven method for producing safe, but still learnable passwords goes as follows:

* Make up a nonsense phrase like
"Thirty crows fly backwards to the moon, but they do not have a ticket."
The more bizarre the sentence, the better you remember it.

* The first letters and numbers are used for the password:
30CfbwttM,btdnhaT

* Now we get creative and replace a few characters, eg "A" looks like but like "4":
30Cfbw2tM,b|dnh@T

* Now insert one or a few signs that are not found on English keyboards [https://en.bitcoin.it/wiki/Microsoft_Windows_Unicode_Input (Tips)]:
3ß0Cþfböw2tM,b|dnh@฿T

Strong passwords are now, where huge computing resources like hashed databases and botnets are available for cracking, about 15 to 20 characters long. Few people can remember so long passwords error-free, especially if they make some longer holiday. Therefore, write to the password and put it in his wallet. (That's still heretical but I have a good Reference - [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bruce_Schneier Bruce Schneier] [http://www.schneier.com/blog/archives/2005/06/write_down_your.html])

* To protect against unauthorized use of the written down password one should append some characters that you really have in your head.

Now it is so that a forgotten password is at least as bad as a cracked. A button labeled "Forgot your password, sent new by e-mail" does not exist in Bitcoin. '''So the consequence of "Password away" is inevitable "money away "'''. Don't forget that!

*'''The written-down password''' should be preserved in something like a bank deposit box (can be rented for a few bucks yearly) or in a fireproof safe. I you have USD 100,000 in BTC, you want to have a fireproof safe if your house has burned down. Believe me.

====== Passphrases (password phrases) or mantras ======

* An alternative to passwords which has at least the same strength against techniques like rainbow tables, '''but is in comparison much easier to remember''' is the use of '''pass-phrases''' or a "mantra". The required length depends on the use. Passphrases for online services may be safe enough with four common words. Secure passphrases for files (which can be rapidly tried off-line) should contain at least six unusual words and at least 35 characters in length. This [http://www.explainxkcd.com/2011/08/10/password-strength/ comic by XKCD] explains the principle.

* An example sentence would be: "The Lemon flambé the okapi a phosphorescent absolution."

* Much of the strength of this method relies on technical reasons: Once a password has reached a certain minimal complexity, the fastest way to crack the password is a brute-force search with rainbow tables and charts. And since for this methods, the length of the password is the decisive factor, long pass phrases, which are comparatively much better to remember, win over short very complex passwords (which are hard to remember but easier to crack).

* In-depth information on passphrases here: [http://www.iusmentis.com/security/passphrasefaq/ passphrase FAQ] by Randall T. Williams.

* Warning: Completely unsuitable are fixed expressions and popular idioms. Don't use any meaningful sentence and anything that might be published on the web.

===== Special Linux distributions =====

To secure a Windows system comprehensively is a complex and difficult task. Securing which is appropriate for the administration of five-figure amounts requires knowledge which the average user does not have.

As an alternative, there are some special Linux distributions. Using them, one can create a secure space specially for Bitcoin, and they require almost no setup:

* [http://www.heise.de/ct/projekte/Sicheres-Online-Banking-mit-Bankix-284099.html c't Bankix], a distribution for online banking, is a adapted and, of course, free version of Ubuntu that was created by the renowned German Heise magazine publisher. Following to the (important) first update the system will be put on a read-only medium and cannot longer be manipulated by unauthorized changes to the software.
* [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Damn_Small_Linux Damn Small Linux] is a popular, small Debian-based Linux, which contains only the most important functions and thus provides less attack surface. The derivation from Debian guarantees speedy and thorough security updates.
* [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Knoppix Knoppix] is a popular live-CD distribution with excellent hardware detection, which has a slightly larger footprint than Damn Small Linux, and a number of interesting features. For example, it offers support for blind and visually impaired persons.
* [http://forum.bitcoin.org/index.php?topic=7374 LinuxCoin], many additional functions for mining

The following distributions are suitable only for users with good knowledge. However, their excellent safety features makes them quite interesting starting points for Bitcoin Appliances:

* [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tin_Hat_Linux Tin Hat Linux] is a [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hardened_Gentoo Hardened Gentoo] derivative. In addition to a very small size and a very comprehensive encryption it has interesting additional security features, such as [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grsecurity Grsecurity].
* [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alpine_Linux Alpine Linux] uses, similar to Tin Hat Linux etc. Kernel functions with Stack Smashing Protection. It uses instead of the standard glibc the uClibc, which means that the Bitcoin client needs to be compiled specifically for this distribution.

===== Linux =====
====== Protected user account ======

The first step is [https://help.ubuntu.com/8.04/serverguide/C/user-management.html to create a new user], which goes with the command:

sudo adduser <code> new_user_name </ code>

On the message "Enter a new value or press ENTER for the default" one needs only to press the Return key.

Then do you register as a new user, eg "Switch User" with (at Ubuntu in the menu to log off). If you are logged in, we search for the file manager, select this from the home directory (with the house icon), then right-click "Properties", then the access permissions. Here you select "Other" and set the permissions to "nobody". With this step, other programs can not read the other user's wallet.

The newly created user should be safe to use in order to keep him safe, exclusively for Bitcoin.

There is also a good idea to encrypt this user's home directory with the package ecryptfs-utils.

# If the home directory is not empty, first backup it to some other medium.
# Now install ecryptfs-utils (Ubuntu: sudo apt-get install ecryptfs-utils)
# From X11 (graphical system) log and log in with Ctrl + Alt + F1 in the Linux console - if you are logged in X11, the home directory is encrypted.
# The current directory change so that it is not in the home folder, eg "Cd /".
# The migration tool to run: (in Ubuntu: sudo ecryptfs-migrate-home-u username)
# If it succeeds then you can press ALT + F8 to go back and log in X11.
# Run the command 'ecryptfs-unwrap-passphrase'. Without exception '''write and store the code that you receive on a secure medium''. '''Without this code no data - including the wallet - can be accessed if the system does not work'''
# Run the command 'ecryptfs-setup-swap' run, which encrypts the swap partition. Otherwise, keys in your purse in plain text can go to the the swap partition where they might be stolen. This unfortunately also means that "idle" or Hibernate can not be used anymore because the bootloader can not restore the dump. An more conventient alternative is to overwrite the swap partition when you shut down the machine (after the deactivation of virtual memory) with random data.

(Instructions from [http://bodhizazen.net/Tutorials/Ecryptfs/ # Migrate])

====== For more information ======
* [https://help.ubuntu.com/community/Security Security features on ubuntu]

* [http://www.techrepublic.com/blog/10things/10-ways-to-secure-your-linux-desktop/359 10 ways to secure your lInux desktop]

===== Windows =====

* [http://windows.microsoft.com/de-DE/windows7/help/security-privacy-user-accounts Basics]

* Create an extra user, under which only the Bitcoin software is running. So the wallet is somewhat protected from malicious code in applications for other users:
** [http://support.microsoft.com/kb/905056/en Windows XP]
** [http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows7/Create-a-user-account Windows 7]

====Browser Security ====

===== Firefox =====
To secure the browser, you start Firefox, go to menu "Edit" (edit), and select "Preferences" (Settings).

* Now you start with the tabs on the left, select the "Startup" option "Show a blank page" (Clean Slate).
* By "content" (content)
** The option "Load images automatically / Load images automatically" opt out,
** Also "Enable Javascript Enable / javascript" opt out.
* In the tab "privacy / data protection" in the "History / History History," select "Never remember history" / "do not save history".
* In the tab "Security" in the "Passwords"
** The "remember passwords / passwords save" deselect
** Also "use a master password" / "master password".
* Finally, in the tab "Advanced" / "Advanced" option
** "Automatically check for updates" deselect
** As "add-ons" and
** "Search engines" / "search engines" opt out.

If Javascript is disabled, the page linux download page] to download new versions of the Bitcoin Clients will no longer automatically download, so you have to link to the "direct link" on notice "Problems with the download? Please use this 'direct link' or try another mirror." . click Once you make the effort made, of course you checked the download of new clients Bitcoin the checksums, which are indicated on the sourceforge page, with the program sha1.

=== Protect against data loss: Backup ===
Secure the only file you need is the wallet.dat. Advance to make sure that Bitcoin not running anymore! The best way would be to encrypt the file and store somewhere safe.

You can also [[API | backupwallet]] JSON-RPC command used to create a backup on the fly.

==== Where to find the Bitcoin folder ====
The [[Bitcoin folder]] is the folder where the data is wallet.dat along with the file.

===== Windows =====
Click on "Start", then Run and enter this:
:% APPDATA% \ Bitcoin
A folder should open now, for most it would be:
C: \ Documents and Settings \ username \ Application Data \ Bitcoin (XP)
C: \ Users \ username \ appdata \ roaming \ Bitcoin (Vista and 7)



===== Linux =====
Bitcoin should create a hidden folder in your home directory of the running user.
~ /. Bitcoin /

It should not be there, it can be possibly due
Find /-name wallet.dat-print 2> / dev / null
. find Or as root
: Updatedb
followed by
: Locate wallet.dat

The handiest backup method under Linux is probably the copy on one or more wallet.dat used for USB flash drives or memory cards that are kept in a safe place (fireproof safe, bank safe, aquarium with piranhas, etc).

====== Individual encryption of the wallet.dat file ======
* For individual encryption of the purse, the available cross-platform program'''[http://ccrypt.sourceforge.net/ ccrypt]''' is well suited. It encodes a variant of the AES Rijndael algorithm. a recognized standard, which is considered very safe. The plain-text version of Wallet.dat will be replaced automatically. As with all strong encryption, a careful backup of data and keys is essential - under Linux, the risk of loss due to forgetting the key is much higher than by computer intrusions and malware.

* For automatic storage of encrypted copies GnuPG (Gnu Privacy Guard) is well suited. To encrypt data, ones need only the public key. Only to decrypt a backup, the private key is used, which can be stored otherwise in a safe place. Using a fixed pair of keys reduces also the risk of loss of a key by unnoticed typos when typing them.

* Additional protection against attacks by key loggers provide smart cards and hardware tokens like the [http://www.privacyfoundation.de/crypto_stick/ Crypto Stick] the Deutsch Privacy Foundation or the GnuPG Fellowship smart card. The special advantage is that you GnuPG keys that are very safe due to their length, and can be stored on the smart card. A six-digit PIN code protects the contents of the smart card. If it is entered incorrectly multiple times, then the content will be deleted. [https://www.privacyfoundation.de/wiki/CryptoStickSoftware instructions here].

* Together with the FUSE-based file system [http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/EncFS EncFS] can you also back up individual files as wallet.dat individually. The entire list can Bitcoin but are not used because the database is encrypted with EncFS.

===== Mac =====

''Note: The following instruction are not checked due to lack of hardware. Please check and correct if necessary, then remove the note!''

The directory containing the Bitcoin wallet.dat is usually here:
~ / Library / Application Support / Bitcoin /

====== Secure all data (500 megabytes) ======
These steps (chain wallet and block) of all data stored on Bitcoin an encrypted disk image:
# Disk Utility Open
# Click on "New Image", 500MB, 128-bit or 256-bit (faster or more secure) encryption specify eintelne partition.
# Copy in a place where you will not lose the image (eg Wuala, Strong Space ofer whatever)
# A strong and secure password select
# Copy everything from ~ / Library / Application Support / Bitcoin / in the image
# Create symlink to the old place, so the app can benuutzen it
::: Ln-s / Volumes / Bitcoin ~ / Library / Application Support / Bitcoin

Do not forget to mount the image before using Bitcoin and unmount afterwards.

====== Backup file wallet.dat purses alone (40MB ) ======
These steps only protect the file wallet.dat. This causes a small memory dump, but is more complicated.

# Disk Utility Open
# Click on "New Image", 40MB, 128-bit or 256-bit, single select partition.
# Store in a place where you will not lose the backup.
# A secure and strong password, select
# The file wallet.dat move in the image
# Create symlink to the old place, so the app can find and use the file
::: Ln-s / Volumes / Bitcoin / wallet.dat ~ / Library / Application Support / Bitcoin / wallet.dat

[[File: MountWalletAndLauchnBitcoin_OSX_Automator.png | thumbnail | 150px | Mount Wallet and launch Bitcoin]]
Do not forget to mount the image before using Bitcoin and unmount afterwards.

'''Note:''' If you start the application Bitcoin without the image is mounted, the program is the symlink (a kind of shortcut) wallet.dat with the new one. Do not panic! Rename the new order wallet.dat or delete it, mount the image, and just put a new symlink. The old wallet.dat may of course be canceled under any circumstances.

'''Automation:''' The program [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Automator_% 29% 28software Automator] (included in OS X) can automatically mount your wallet and start Bitcoin App.

Alternatively, the following shell script can be used to decrypt wallet.dat which automatically starts the Bitcoin client, and they subsequently re-encrypted. The script works for sowoghl for OSX and Linux: [http://lorelei.kaverit.org/bitcoin.sh Bitcoin-launch-script]

==== General solution ====
wallet.dat is not usually encrypted, everyone who has access to the file, can freely dispose of the coins. You can encrypt your wallet.dat with one of these programs, should there be the slightest chance that someone else has access.

Note: Encryption does not protect the wallet against security risk ''after'' they have occured. Encryping a wallet after finding a computer virus or a trojan helps absolutely nothing. Also, encryption does not help against the complete loss of control which a system compromise means.

* [http://www.7-zip.org/ 7-Zip]
* [http://www.axantum.com/axcrypt/ AxCrypt]
* [http://www.truecrypt.org/ TrueCrypt]
* [http://www.rarlab.com/ WinRar]
* [http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/EncFS EncFS] (Linux)

==== Encryption with Smart Card ====

Folders can be encrypted with GnuPG-compatible smart card. A very secure solution is to stick the Crypto Deutsch Privacy Foundation:

[http://www.privacyfoundation.de/crypto_stick/ Crypto Stick overview]

[https://www.privacyfoundation.de/wiki/CryptoStickSoftware Intallation and use]

==== Storing the Archives ====
A backup on Flash Media / Memory Sticks and storing them in secure locations is a reasonable solution.

=== BOTG: Bitcoin Off The Grid===
* Another alternative that is suitable for high security requirements,is "BOTG - Bitcoin off-the-grid" [http://forum.bitcoin.org/index.php?topic=7374.msg108351 see info in the announcement to LinuxCoin]. It is a script that can create a key pair ''without'' Internet connection. As the private keys are created on a system that does not have Internet access, and are stored offline, they can not get lost via the Internet. The public key can be passed on and received as normal transactions that can be looked up in block Explorer. Only if you want to use the fund, you must import the private key into a Bitcoin client. From then on, the normal safety precautions apply.

=Securing your wallet on Ubuntu and/or Suse=
For users that use a Linux system that comes with AppArmor, it is probably possible to use
the MinorFs system with a procedure not unlike that described here for secure ssh without a passphrase:

http://minorfs.polacanthus.net/wiki/Ssh_private_keys_without_passphrase

Its a bit of a hack, but it would make it impossible for malware running under the same user id as
bitcoin to gain access to the wallet.

It may be worth it if someone would describe the correct procedure to secure the bitcoin wallet using MinorFs/AppArmor in a way similar to described in the above link for ssh keys without passphrases.

Securing your wallet

2012-01-08T17:19:31Z

==Introduction==

Wallet security can be broken down into two independent goals:
# Protecting your wallet against loss.
# Protecting your wallet against theft.

In the case that your current wallet hasn't been protected adequately (e.g. put online with a weaker password):
# Making a new secure wallet, using appropriate long-term protection.

''For a brief overview see also: [[Wallet Security Dos and Don'ts (Windows)|Wallet Security Dos and Don'ts]]''

==Paper Wallets==
[[Paper wallet]]s are a fairly simple way to store Bitcoins without needing a computer. When generated securely, a paper wallet also puts your Bitcoins well outside the reach of hackers and computer viruses.

"Storing" bitcoins is a little bit of a misnomer - what you are actually "storing" is a sequence of secret numbers that is used to prove your right to spend the Bitcoins you have received. This secret number is called a [[private key]]. The most common way to write a Bitcoin private key is as a sequence of fifty-one alphanumeric characters that always starts with a '5'.

One way you can print a paper wallet is at the website [[BitAddress]]. This website features a free client-side paper wallet generator written in Javascript. This generator can be saved as a file and used on an offline computer. Using it online is relatively safe, but not airtight unless you take a couple of extra precautions to ensure your keys are not stolen by spyware. Alternatively blockchain.info offers a [https://blockchain.info/wallet/paper-tutorial tutorial on how to generate a paper wallet] with an online component so you can still check your balance easily.

To generate a safe paper wallet, you need to "clean-boot" your computer with a bootable CD (such as a Linux Live CD), with your computer not connected to the internet, to ensure that you do not have any active spyware that might steal the private keys you generate. Disconnecting from the Internet allows you to confirm that the paper wallet generator is truly self-contained and isn't depending on communication with a remote server. Run the saved paper wallet generator in a web browser, print your paper wallets (do not save them on the computer), and then shut down the computer. You may need to load an appropriate printer driver in order to print while booted from the Live CD.

A paper wallet lists multiple Bitcoin addresses and the corresponding "private key". You can send Bitcoins to any address on the page, and they will be inaccessible until the private key is loaded back onto a computer. The Bitcoin software does not yet have a built-in way to load private keys, but you can use the "Add Funds" - "Private key" screen at [[MtGox]] to recover digital coins from a private key. Coins are deposited in your MtGox account and can be sent out of MtGox shortly thereafter.

Remember that spyware and viruses often attempt to monitor your computer activities so that their authors can steal from you. They are interested in your passwords (such as to banking, etc.) and anything of value. Bitcoin wallets and Bitcoin private keys are something of value that will be targeted by malware. Paper wallets isolate you from much of this risk.

If your computer is infected with spyware or viruses - even if there are no symptoms or your antivirus isn't reporting anything - then anything you type, view, or save on your computer could potentially be stolen by someone remotely controlling your computer. Your private key could potentially be intercepted at the point you type it in to redeem it, so only enter a Bitcoin private key into your computer when your intent is to redeem its value ''immediately''.

==Securing an online wallet with the Bitcoin software==

Bitcoin transactions send Bitcoins to a specific public key. A Bitcoin address is an encoded hash of a public key. In order to use received Bitcoins, you need to have the private key matching the public key you received with. This is sort of like a super long password associated with an account (the account is the public key). Your Bitcoin wallet contains all of the private keys necessary for spending your received transactions. If you delete your wallet without a backup, then you no longer have the authorization information necessary to claim your coins, and the coins associated with those keys are lost forever.

The wallet contains a pool of queued keys. By default there are 100 keys in the [[key pool]]. The size of the pool is configurable using the "-keypool" command line argument. When you need an address for whatever reason (send, “new address”, generation, etc.), the key is not actually generated freshly, but taken from this pool. A brand new address is generated to fill the pool back to 100. So when a backup is first created, it has all of your old keys plus 100 unused keys. After sending a transaction, it has 99 unused keys. After a total of 100 new-key actions, you will start using keys that are not in your backup. Since the backup does not have the private keys necessary for authorizing spends of these coins, restoring from the old backup will cause you to lose Bitcoins.

Creating a new address generates a new pair of public and private keys, which are added to your wallet. Each keypair is mostly random numbers, so they cannot be known prior to generation. If you backup your wallet and then create more than 100 new addresses, the keypair associated with the newest addresses will not be in the old wallet because the new keypairs are only known after creating them. Any coins received at these addresses will be lost if you restore from the backup.

The situation is made somewhat more confusing because the receiving addresses shown in the UI are not the only keys in your wallet. Each Bitcoin generation is given a new public key, and, more importantly, each sent transaction also sends some number of Bitcoins back to yourself at a new key. When sending Bitcoins to anyone, you generate a new keypair for yourself and simultaneously send Bitcoins to your new public key and the actual recipient's public key. This is an anonymity feature – it makes tracking Bitcoin transactions much more difficult.

So if you create a backup, do more than 100 things that cause a new key to be used, and then restore from the backup, some Bitcoins will be lost. Bitcoin has not deleted any keys (keys are never deleted) – it has created a new key that is not in your old backup and then sent Bitcoins to it.

== Making a new wallet ==

In the case that a wallet has been distributed, or stored, in a (real or potential) compromised state, it is wise to create a new wallet and transfer the full balance of Bitcoins to an address contained only in the newly created wallet.

For example, this will be necessary if one created a wallet with a password of 12 characters, as suggested. However a few years have passed and the wallet is now more easily compromised. Just re-encrypting isn't secure. One needs to make a new wallet and make the old wallet worthless (spending the funds to the new wallet).

==Making a secure workspace==

===Linux===

The first step is to make a [http://www.howtogeek.com/howto/ubuntu/add-a-user-on-ubuntu-server/ new user,] so run:

<code>adduser new_user_name</code>

as root. When you get to the prompt 'Enter the new value, or press ENTER for the default', just keep hitting ENTER.

Then switch user to the new user. To get to the new user you can use the switch user icon for your system, which on Ubuntu is in the 'System/Quit' screen, or if there is no switch icon on your system you can log out and log back in as the new user. Then click on a folder in the new user to display the file browser, then keep going up folders until you see the new user home directory, then right click to bring up the Properties dialog, then click on the Permissions tab, then in the Others section, set the folder access to None.

For secure browsing, open Firefox, and then go into the Edit menu and click Preferences. Starting from the left, click on the General tab, and in the 'Startup/When Firefox starts' pop up menu, choose 'Show a Blank Page'. Then click on the Content tab, and deselect 'Load images automatically' and deselect 'Enable Javascript'. Then click on the Privacy tab, and in the 'History/Firefox will' pop up menu, choose 'Never remember history'. Then click on the Security tab, and in the Passwords section, deselect 'Remember passwords for sites' and deselect 'Use a master password'. Then click on the Advanced tab, then click on the Update tab, and then in the 'Automatically check for updates to' section, deselect 'Add-ons' and 'Search Engines'.

When javascript is disabled, the [http://sourceforge.net/projects/bitcoin/files/Bitcoin/bitcoin-0.3.23/bitcoin-0.3.23-linux.tar.gz/download linux download page] will not download automatically, so you'll have to click on the 'direct link' part of the "Problems with the download? Please use this 'direct link' or try another mirror." line.

After you've made your secure new user, to maintain security you should use it only for bitcoin.

It's also a good idea to encrypt the Home directory of whatever user you run Bitcoin under using ecryptfs-utils. To do this:
# If the Home directory is not empty you should back it up first, by just copying the data to an external drive or something.
# install ecryptfs-utils (on Ubuntu: sudo apt-get install ecryptfs-utils)
# log out of X (graphical system) and press Ctrl+Alt+F1 to login to the command shell (you must be logged out or some files will be open and the tool won't be able to encrypt your data)
# change directory to something that's not in your home folder (ex: cd / )
# run the migration tool (on Ubuntu: sudo ecryptfs-migrate-home -u username)
# if it's successful, you can now press ALT+F8 to go back to the GUI and login
# run 'ecryptfs-unwrap-passphrase' and '''WRITE DOWN OR SAVE THE CODE IT RETURNS''' because you will need it if you ever have to pull your data off while the OS is not working. (You can run it again later if you need to, but run it now so that you can get your data if your Linux install gets botched.)
# run 'ecryptfs-setup-swap' to encrypt your swap partition (the encrypted folder data is not encrypted while it's in memory, and so if it's ever sent to the swap partition it can be stolen from there unless that too is encrypted - be aware that this will mean you cannot use Hibernate anymore, as the bootloader won't be able to restore the hibernation data)
(instructions from [http://bodhizazen.net/Tutorials/Ecryptfs/#Migrate])

===Mac===
This solution '''does not scale'''; the amount of needed space can grow beyond the image size.

=====Backup all data=====
Follow these instructions to backup all the bitcoin data (wallet and block chains) to an encrypted disk image.
# Open Disk Utility
# Click New Image and choose a big enough size, 128-bit or 256-bit (faster or more secure) encryption and single partition.
# Save it somewhere you won't lose it (like your Wuala, Dropbox, Strongspace or whatever)
# Choose a safe and strong password
# Move everything from ~/Library/Application Support/Bitcoin/ to the image
# Symlink it back so the app would be able to use it
:::ln -s /Volumes/Bitcoin ~/Library/Application Support/Bitcoin

Don't forget to mount your image before using Bitcoin and unmount after quitting it.

=====Backup just wallet.dat=====
Follow these instructions to backup just the wallet.dat file. This results in a smaller disk image, but it's more complicated to do.
# Open Disk Utility
# Click New Image and choose a big enough size, 128-bit or 256-bit (faster or more secure) encryption and single partition.
# Save it somewhere you won't lose it (like your Wuala, Dropbox, Strongspace or whatever)
# Choose a safe and strong password
# Move your wallet.dat file to the image
# Symlink it back so the app would be able to use it
:::ln -s /Volumes/Bitcoin/wallet.dat ~/Library/Application Support/Bitcoin/wallet.dat

[[File:MountWalletAndLauchnBitcoin_OSX_Automator.png|thumbnail|150px|Mount Wallet and launch Bitcoin]]
Don't forget to mount your image before using Bitcoin and unmount after quitting it.

'''Note''': If you start the Bitcoin application without having the image mounted, the application will overwrite your symlink with a new wallet. If that happens, don't panic. Just delete the new wallet.dat, mount the image, and recreate the symlink like above.

'''Automation''': You can create a small application using [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Automator_%28software%29 Automator] (included in OS X) to automatically mount the wallet and then launch Bitcoin App. See the Screenshot on how to do this.

If one ''doesn't'' want to use encrypted Disk images, then a '''small shell script''' can be used instead that takes care of decrypting the wallet, launching bitcoin client, and encrypting it after the client exits. This script works on both OSX and Linux: [http://lorelei.kaverit.org/bitcoin.sh bitcoin-launch-script]

===Windows===

If you are using Windows XP or Windows 7, you can keep your wallet on an encrypted disk image created by third-party software, such as [http://www.truecrypt.org/ TrueCrypt] (open source) or [http://www.jetico.com/encryption-bestcrypt/ Jetico BestCrypt] (commercial). You can probably do the same with Windows Vista or Windows 2000.

'''NOTE:''' You should configure Bitcoin in this manner only on computers where you use Bitcoin, but do not use that computer to mine. For example, this is a good configuration for a notebook or tablet computer.

Assuming that you have installed the Windows Bitcoin client and run it at least once, the process is described below.

<p><b>To mount the Bitcoin data directory on an encrypted drive</b></p>
<ol start=1 type=1>
<li>Use the third-party disk image encryption program of your choice to create and mount an encrypted disk image of at least 100 MB in size.</li>
<li>Locate the Bitcoin data directory, and copy the directory with all contents to the encrypted drive.
<p>For help finding this directory, see <b>[[Securing_your_wallet#Locating_Bitcoin_s_data_directory|Locating Bitcoin's Data Directory]]</b>.</p></li>
<li>Create a Windows shortcut that starts Bitcoin with the <code>-datadir</code> parameter and specifies the encrypted drive and directory.
<p>For example, if you installed Bitcoin in the default directory, mounted your Bitcoin encrypted drive as <code>E:\</code>, and stored your Bitcoin data directory on it as <code>Bitcoin</code>, you would type the following command as the shortcut Target:</p>
<blockquote><code>C:\Program Files\Bitcoin\bitcoin.exe -datadir=E:\Bitcoin</code></blockquote></li>
<li>Open Bitcoin's settings and configure it <b>NOT</b> to start automatically when you start Windows.
<p>This is to allow you to mount the Bitcoin encrypted disk image before starting Bitcoin.</p></li>
<li>Shut down Bitcoin, and then restart it from the new shortcut.</li>
</ol>

After doing this, any time you want to use Bitcoin, you must first mount the Bitcoin encrypted disk image using the same drive designation, and then run Bitcoin from the shortcut that you created, so that it can find its data and your wallet. :-)

== Locating Bitcoin's data directory ==

The [[data directory]] is the location where Bitcoin's data files are stored, including the wallet data file.

=== Windows ===

Go to Start -> Run (or press WinKey+R) and run this:

explorer %APPDATA%\Bitcoin

Bitcoin's data folder will open. For most users, this is the following locations:

C:\Documents and Settings\YourUserName\Application data\Bitcoin (XP)

C:\Users\YourUserName\Appdata\Roaming\Bitcoin (Vista and 7)

"AppData" and "Application data" are hidden by default.

=== Linux ===

By default Bitcoin will put its data here:

~/.bitcoin/

You need to do a "ls -a" to see directories that start with a dot.

If that's not it, you can do a search like this:

find / -name wallet.dat -print 2>/dev/null

=== Mac ===

By default Bitcoin will put its data here:

~/Library/Application Support/Bitcoin/

==Backup==

'''Note''': Using a service like Dropbox to back up your Bitcoin data is not recommended as doing so introduces [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dropbox_(service)#Criticism security concerns] such as:
# the fact that they store your encryption key (meaning that a disgruntled Dropbox employee or an attacker who gained access to the system could decrypt your Dropbox data and steal your Bitcoins)
# the fact that the Dropbox client only needs a password for the first login. After it authenticates once, the server assigns it a token which it uses to show that, at one time, its user knew the password rather than sending the actual password (meaning that if you ever use the Dropbox client on another PC, that PC's users can access your Dropbox - even if you change your password - and can steal your Bitcoins or get a virus that will steal your Bitcoins).

For these reasons, an alternative is Wuala which does not store your encryption key and requires a password each time. With Wuala, the client can be set to remember your password but the server will check each time to make sure that the client is sending the correct password. Like Dropbox, the basic, lowest-storage-space account with Wuala is free of charge, and coincidentally, Wuala [http://www.wuala.com/en/bitcoin is experimenting with allowing users to pay for "upgraded" plans using Bitcoin.]

Whether you use Dropbox as your backup or not, use what Steve Gibson calls "pre-Internet encryption" (which he [http://itknowledgeexchange.techtarget.com/security-corner/cloud-security-and-privacy-do-they-exist/ discussed in the context of Dropbox's security concerns]) and use some form of encryption on the files before you back them up -- just in case someone other than yourself ever gains access to that backup. Make sure to pick a password that's memorable but secure.

The only file you need to back up is "wallet.dat". Ensure that Bitcoin is closed, copy this file somewhere else, encrypt it, and put it somewhere safe. Ideally, you would put this file in two places: one nearby, and one 100+ miles away.

You can use the [[api|backupwallet]] JSON-RPC command to back up without shutting down Bitcoin.

=== General Solutions ===

Your wallet.dat file is not encrypted by Bitcoin, by default. The most current release of the Bitcoin client provides a method to encrypt with a passphrase the private keys stored in the wallet. Anyone who can access a wallet which is not using the passphrase encryption can easily steal all of your coins. Use one of these encryption programs if there is any chance someone might stumble upon your wallet.
* [http://www.7-zip.org/ 7-zip] - Supports strongly-encrypted archives.
* [http://www.axantum.com/axcrypt/ AxCrypt by Axantum]
* [http://lrzip.kolivas.org lrzip] - Compression software for Linux and OSX that supports very high grade password protected encryption
* [http://www.truecrypt.org/ TrueCrypt] - Volume-based on-the-fly encryption (for advanced users)
* [http://www.rarlab.com/ WinRar] - Commonly used archive software that supports verification records and encryption.

There is also a list of [[OpenSourceEncryptionSoftware|open source encryption software.]]

Decrypting and encrypting the wallet.dat every time you start or quit the Bitcoin client can be ''tedious'' (and outright error-prone). If you want to keep your wallet encrypted (except while you're actually running the Bitcoin client), it's better to relegate the automation to a [http://lorelei.kaverit.org/bitcoin.sh small shell script] that handles the en/decryption and starting up Bitcoin client for you (Linux and OSX).

There is also a method to Print out and encrypt your Wallet.dat as a special barcode. See details here: [[WalletPaperbackup]]

==== Password Strength ====
Brute-force password cracking has come a long way. A password of random [a-Z] [0-9] [!-~] of 8 characters long was previously thought secure but can be trivially solved now (using appropriate hardware). The recommended length is '''at least''' 12 characters long. You can also use a multi-word password. [http://www.baekdal.com/tips/password-security-usability The Usability of Passwords]

However, simply using dictionary words is also insecure as it opens you up to a dictionary attack. If you use dictionary words, be sure to throw random symbols and numbers in the mix as well.

If you use keyfiles in addition to a password, it is unlikely that your encrypted file can ever be cracked using brute force methods, even 10 years from now when even a 12 character password might be too short.

Assume that any encrypted files you store online (eg. gmail, Dropbox) will be stored somewhere forever and can never be erased.

===== Choosing Your Password =====
Make sure you pick at least one character in each group:<br />

Lowercase: abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz
Uppercase: ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ
Number: 1234567890
Symbol: `~!@#$%^&*()-_=+\|[{]};:'",<.>/? (space)

>9 char = unsuitable for use
09 char = insecure
10 char = low security
11 char = medium security
12 char = good security (good enough for your wallet)
13 char = very good, enough for anything.

==== Storage of Archive ====
One of the most simple methods for storing a appropriately '''encrypted''' archive of your wallet.dat file is to send the archive as an email attachment to your own e-mail address. Services like gmail.com use very comprehensive distributed networks that make the loss of data very unlikely. One can even obfuscate the name of the files within the archive, and name the archive something less inviting, such as: 'personal notes' or 'car insurance'.

Another solution is to use a file storage service like [http://www.wuala.com/bitcoin Wuala] ( encrypted, [http://www.bitcoin.org/smf/index.php?topic=5817.0 instructions]), [http://www.dropbox.com Dropbox] and [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comparison_of_online_backup_services others], including the more secure [http://www.spideroak.com SpiderOak].

=== Linux solution ===

Linux users can setup backups using cron by telling it to run a backup script at set intervals of time. Run 'crontab -e' and add this line near the bottom:

01 */1 * * * /usr/local/bin/backupwallet.sh

This cron line will run the /usr/local/bin/backupwallet.sh script at the 01 minute of every hour. Remember to add a newline after the last line of the crontab file, or else the last line won't run. You may also wish to ignore the script's output by appending " > /dev/null 2>&1" to the line (this will also prevent emails from being sent).

Create /usr/local/bin/backupwallet.sh:

#!/bin/bash
# /usr/local/bin/backupwallet.sh
#
# Performs backup of bitcoin wallet.
#
# Written by: https://en.bitcoin.it/wiki/Securing_your_wallet

#
# Standard Options
#
TS=$(date "+%Y%m%d-%H%M")
WALLET=/tmp/wallet-${TS}
WALLET_E=/tmp/wallet-${TS}.crypt
BITCOIN=bitcoind # /path/to/bitcoind
GPG=gpg # /path/to/gpg
GPG_USER=username # Username of gpg recipient. User should have gpg setup.
RM=rm
RM_OPTS='--force'
USE_SHRED=0 # Flip to 1 to use `shred` instead of `rm`.
SHRED=shred
SHRED_OPTS='--force --iterations=9 --zero --remove'

#
# Storage Options
# Only 1 set of options should be un-commented (the last one will be used).
# Update CP_DEST paths as neccessary.
#
# CP - Storage on a local machine. Could be Dropbox/Wuala folder.
#CP=cp
#CP_DEST='/var/data/backups/' # '~/Dropbox/', etc.
#
# SSH - Storage on a remote machine.
CP=scp
CP_DEST='remoteuser@example.com:~/wallets/'
#
# S3 - Storage on Amazon's S3. Be sure s3cmd is installed and properly setup.
# You may need "s3cmd put --force" if you use a sub-directory in CP_DEST.
#CP=s3cmd put
#CP_DEST='s3://bucket'

do_clean() {
# Remove temporary wallets.
if [ 1 -eq $USE_SHRED ]; then
$SHRED $SHRED_OPTS $WALLET $WALLET_E
else
$RM $RM_OPTS $WALLET $WALLET_E
fi
}

do_fail() {
do_clean
echo failed!
exit 1
}

# Perform the backup.
echo -n Making backup...
$BITCOIN backupwallet $WALLET
[ ! -s "$WALLET" ] && do_fail # If the backup does not exist or is empty, fail.
echo done.
echo -n Encrypting backup...
$GPG -r $GPG_USER --output $WALLET_E --encrypt $WALLET
[ 0 -ne $? ] && do_fail # If gpg returns a non-zero result, fail.
echo done.
echo -n Copying to backup location...
$CP $WALLET_E "$CP_DEST"
[ 0 -ne $? ] && do_fail # If the $CP command returns a non-zero result, fail.
echo done.
do_clean

exit 0

The shell script:

* Calls bitcoind backupwallet to create a time/date-stamped wallet.
* GPG encrypts the wallet with your public key.
* Copies the result using one of several storage options (cp, scp, and s3cmd).
* Uses the rm or shred command to remove the temporary wallet files.

Be sure to modify the script options to fit your setup. After you save, make sure the file can be executed properly by the cron user. Common permissions for files in /usr/local/bin/ can be applied using (verify with your distribution!):

cd /usr/local/bin/ && chown root:root backupwallet.sh && chmod 755 backupwallet.sh

[[Category:Technical]]

==Restore==

Assuming your backup is recent enough that you haven't used up all of your key pool... restoring a wallet to a new (or old) location and rescanning the block chain should leave you with all your coins. Just follow these steps:
* Quit bitcoin(d).
* Copy your backed up wallet.dat into your bitcoin profile directory.
* If copying into existing profile, delete file ''blkindex.dat'' and ''blk0001.dat'' to make the client re-scan the block chain.

And you'll be good as new.

==Erasing Plain Text Wallets==

A good practice is to keep at least two wallets, one as a "current account" for everyday transactions and one as a "savings account" where you store the majority of your Bitcoins.

The "savings account" wallet should be backed up in encrypted form only and all plaintext copies of this wallet should be erased. In case someone gains unauthorised access to your computer (either by physically stealing it or by exploiting a system vulnerability via the internet), they will only be able to spend the coins in your "current account" wallet.

In most operating systems, including Windows, Linux, and Mac OS X, simply deleting a wallet.dat file will ''not'' generally destroy it. It is likely that advanced tools can still be used to recover the wallet.dat file, even after it has been deleted.

The Linux '''shred''' command can be used to overwrite the wallet file with random data prior to deleting; this particular copy of the file will then be practically impossible to recover. Using shred (and similar tools on Windows) however does not guarantee that still other copies don't exist somewhere hidden on your HD. That will depend on your system configuration and what packages you have installed. Some system restore and backup tools, for instance, create periodic snapshots of your filesystem, duplicating your wallet.dat.

In Mac OS, the equivalent of '''shred''' is '''srm''' (introduced in Leopard). Using the Finder to remove files, clicking "Secure Empty Trash" in the Finder menu will shred the contents of the trash can. As with any OS this doesn't guarantee that there are not other copies elsewhere on your system.

For Windows, the built-in command ''cipher /W'' will shred all previously-deleted files. [http://www.cylog.org/utilities/cybershredder.jsp CyberShredder] can securely deleted individual files.

==eWallet==

Storing bitcoins with an [[eWallet]] provider incurs risks as well. Basically you grant the third party, in this case eWallet, full access to your wallet. These eWallets, or Electronic Wallets have a number of pros and cons. For example, you can access your wallet on any computer in the world, but the wallet can be forged or hacked and your bitcoins could be lost. You can also get eWallet applications for your Android phone, which also download the block chain like the normal client but allow the user to send bitcoins by QR code or NFC. The problem with this is that Bitcoins can be intercepted through means of mobile hacking.

==See Also==

* [[Data directory]]
* [http://startbitcoin.com/how-to-create-a-secure-bitcoin-wallet/ Secure Bitcoin Wallet Tutorial]
* [[How to set up a secure offline savings wallet]]
* [http://arimaa.com/bitcoin/ Bitcoin Gateway - A Peer-to-peer Bitcoin Vault and Payment Network]

[[de:Sichere deine Geldbörse]]
[[zh-cn:保护你的钱包]]

Bitcoinj

2012-01-08T17:16:06Z

An open source Bitcoin client library built using Java and implements the Bitcoin network protocol.

The project was announced on March 7, 2011<ref>[http://www.bitcoin.org/smf/index.php?topic=4236.msg61438#msg61438 ANNOUNCE - BitCoinJ v0.1, a client-mode implementation in Java]</ref>. The project was built by a Google employee as a "20 percent time" project<ref>[http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=2297686 Comment by Google's Chris Dibona on Hacker News]</ref>.

==See Also==

* [[Bitcoin-android]] mobile client

* [[Bitcoin Wallet for Android]] - a standalone wallet for Android devices (based on BitCoinJ)

==External Links==

* [http://code.google.com/p/bitcoinj BitCoinJ] project page on Google Code.

==References==
<references />
[[Category:API Bindings]]
[[Category:Nodes]]
[[Category:Wallets]]
[[Category:Clients]]
[[Category:Free Software]]
[[Category:License/Apache2]]
[[Category:Open Source]]

Talk:Main Page

2012-01-08T17:13:34Z

== Protect main page ==

The main page is the perfect opportunity for vandalism. Although having it unprotected allows everyone to improve it (which is uncommon), the risk is too great when the edit could just be done by an administrator. [[User:X|X]] 11:27, 7 January 2012 (GMT)

== Header capitalisation ==

Please refrain from using Initial Caps in your titles. Use One initial cap; it's the style in current usage.
For names such as Bitcoin Market, capitalise each letter of the word only for that name
e.g "How to use Bitcoin Market".[[User:Genjix|Genjix]] 07:23, 30 December 2010 (GMT)
:Lets stick to the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Naming_conventions_(capitalization) Wikipedia style guide]. [[User:Genjix|Genjix]] 21:07, 9 January 2011 (GMT)

== Fonts for source code ==

MT, can you make the fonts bigger? I can hardly see the fonts for the <source> snippets. Thanks. [[User:Genjix|Genjix]] 07:23, 30 December 2010 (GMT)
: For the source snippets, this can be done by editing [[MediaWiki:Geshi.css]] I guess, use the discussion page there [[User:MagicalTux|MagicalTux]] 14:59, 31 December 2010 (GMT)
::Thanks. I didn't know about that- well you've sorted it now anyway ;) [[User:Genjix|Genjix]] 21:09, 9 January 2011 (GMT)

==Further Languages==

There now are wiki URLs here for two languages in addition to English. How do bitcoin wikis for additional languages get started? For example, there are a number of bitcoin users whose primary language is spanish. Bitcoin has a number of German language readers too ... for example [http://www.go-bitcoin.com Go-Bitcoin]]. [[User:sgornick]] 18:01, 8 February 2011 (GMT)
: Those informations are available on the [[Bitcoin.it Wiki]] page. [[User:MagicalTux|MagicalTux]] 08:30, 16 February 2011 (GMT)

== Recent Changes showing New Users ==

Would an administrator please remove new users from the recent changes? It generally clogs it up and isn't helpful for editors. Thanks! --[[User:Firestorm|<span style="text-shadow:orange 0px 0px 3px;"><font color="#FF6600"><tt><big><u>'''Firestorm'''</u></big></tt></font>]]</span> 05:10, 26 May 2011 (GMT)

== Contents of "Topic central" ==
I suggest adding "services". [[User:Phelix|Phelix]] 12:30, 15 September 2011 (GMT)

This link should be displayed more prominently. Maybe something like: "spend coins". Also "trade" is very misleading because it is easy to think of trading bitcoins on an exchange but not buying goods and services.
https://en.bitcoin.it/wiki/Trade

== Description of Bitcoin ==
The description of bitcoin is similiar to wikipedia article.--[[User:Kiba|Kiba]] 19:53, 16 December 2010 (GMT)
: It seems that the beginning of the introduction was made by Grondilu (french guy who sometimes comes on irc and auctions gold on the forum), see [http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Bitcoin&diff=402269158&oldid=402260422]. Since most of the bitcoin article on wikipedia was put together by the bitcoin community, it shouldn't be too difficult to have them accept publication here. In the meantime I see no harm keeping this for a few days, until we either get explicit authorization, or rewrite it into something more personnal. [[User:MagicalTux|MagicalTux]] 21:47, 16 December 2010 (GMT)
:: In the meantime I have added a "wikipedia" source, thru adhering with the wikipedia CC by-sa license. [[User:MagicalTux|MagicalTux]] 21:49, 16 December 2010 (GMT)
:::Authorisation isn't needed. We're complying with the Wikipedia license by sourcing their work. Shouldn't matter. [[User:Genjix|Genjix]] 03:31, 19 December 2010 (GMT)

I don't like "the idea of using digital files as money" -- maybe "the idea of using digital information as money" ? 'files' has too specific a meaning in the computer context. Then again, most dollars and euros and other conventional currency are nothing but accounting entries in various databases.--[[User:Gavinandresen|Gavin Andresen]] 16:20, 22 December 2010 (GMT)
: Maybe using with "bits of data"? (it's BITcoin after all). Anyway "files" doesn't seem appropriate... [[User:MagicalTux|MagicalTux]] 12:25, 23 December 2010 (GMT)
::"bits of data" sounds equally weird. I changed it to information. However, is it really information? Information is supposed to be human-readable quantitative data, whereas data is the raw stream... It doesn't fit data or information as it's a solution to a mathematical operation. We could write "the idea of using computed solutions to mathematical problems as money". [[User:Genjix|Genjix]] 16:38, 23 December 2010 (GMT)
:::Ok, on second thought, I changed it. [[User:Genjix|Genjix]] 16:39, 23 December 2010 (GMT)

Talk:Securing your wallet

2012-01-08T17:10:22Z

The Mac solution does not scale. The suggested sizes are too low and the maximum size is infinite. [[User:X|X]] 17:10, 8 January 2012 (GMT)

This article needs a rewrite following the introduction of the Bitcoin.org client's ability to passphrase protect the keys in the wallet. Perhaps some sections also -- something like "typical consumer use" (where the client's encryption is adequate) and "commercial-grade protection" where the topics such as encryption at the filesystem is addressed. - [[User:Sgornick|Sgornick]] 10:24, 28 December 2011 (GMT)

The five paragraphs in Technical Background all say the same thing. --[[User:Mcandre|Mcandre]]

Note: the backupwallet.sh script in the linux section doesn't actually work.
I suspect it is caused by the wiki changing the formatting.
I wrote my own version that uses much more standard shell syntax.

[[User:Wscott|Wscott]] 11:28, 11 February 2011 (GMT)

I fixed the backupwallet.sh script. It just needed a nowiki tag around a conditional statement. -- [[User:Mweather|Mweather]] 23:48, 20 May 2011 (GMT)

The approach for "Making a secure workspace" seems to differ greatly for linux and mac. Why? It seems like if you are going to make firefox secure, which is basically all the linux section recommends, you would want to do that on a mac too. And the recommendation in the mac section to keep the wallet in an encrypted volume with a symlink in the expected system location should be done on a linux box too, shouldn't it, like using truecrypt or something... Am I wrong??? Can someone with advanced knowledge please advise...? Also, if you want bitcoin to run all the time in the background on linux, but you have it set up in a separate user from your main user account, well, you are out of luck? Can justifications and explanations be added to the recommendations, and also I guess some alternatives with pros and cons be offered, for people with different needs and computing situations. Thanks! --[[User:GusGustavo|GusGustavo]] 13:33, 26 May 2011 (GMT)

== Time Sensitivity ==

Is it possible to still send money to my wallet, even if it's backed up and offline? Do bitcoins ever expire if they're not spent, or is there anything bad that can happen by not using my bitcoin client in a long time? [[User:Daniel.benoy|Daniel.benoy]] 23:18, 8 June 2011 (GMT)

== How often is it needed to backup the Wallet? ==

Is it necessary to make a backup after each transaction? This page is not clear about this.
Please add this information to the page!

== Creating a New Wallet ==

This section isn't helpful; it tells you when to create a new wallet, but not how. I'm a new user, and the wallet was created when I installed the BitCoin program. I will find out how to create a new wallet, and then edit this section so that it actually explains the task that it sets out to explain. :-) [[User:ErgoOne|ErgoOne]] 15:19, 9 June 2011 (GMT)

== Making a secure workspace ==

For me space needed in ~/Library/Application Support/Bitcoin (Mac) is more than 400MB (!) after having loaded all blocks from bitcoin app. So 100MB is much too small (may be sufficient for just wallet.dat, but then the steps to do had to be changed). [[User:Hartrock|Hartrock]] 18:48, 12 June 2011 (GMT)

I updated the wiki steps to just backup wallet.dat --[[User:ChocoboLee|ChocoboLee]] 19:18, 15 June 2011 (GMT)

== Flaws with argument regarding encryption ==

Can someone please explain to me how encrypting your wallet will actually protect against a trojan stealing it. Because once you mount the encrypted file, and decrypt it not only can bitcoin see it but the trojan can as well. This strategy seems to work only in the following circumstances:
1. The wallet that has the majority of your cash you never decrypt when you have an open internet connection.
2. Assumes that a trojan only operates when an internet connection is present and it can transmit the wallet data file.

Even if you were paranoid and never were connected to the internet when the wallet file with the bulk of your funds was decrypted this still would not solve the problem. In the event that a trojan seeks to copy your wallet file to another location on your computer it could wait for an open internet connection to transmit this data. So even if you reencrypt the wallet file before connecting to the internet this type of trojan has already made a copy of the decrypted file and can transmit it as soon as an internet connection becomes available.

Also how in the world could you ever use this wallet to transfer cash to another user if you are offline? Maybe I don't understand how bitcoin works but don't you need to be online in order to transfer bitcoins? Basically the bottom line is that bitcoin cannot read an encrypted wallet file which means that in order to use the wallet you need to decrypt it which means its vulnerable to trojans who can steal it the moment you want to use it.

This seems to be a fundamental flaw in this discussion "securing your wallet" Why doesn't bitcoin just address this in the software allowing for the wallet to always be encrypted and require a password upon startup. If you want bitcoin to go mainstream I don't understand why you can't address this fundamental flaw that would be solved by an always encrypted wallet file that the software can read and write to.

::The fundamental flaw is trying to secure the wallet when the whole system is already technically compromised. It does not help to have a secure wallet then. What a trojan could do is, for example, to replace the bitcoin client by a sligthly changed one that usually works as expected, but once in a while sends the money to an address which is owned by the attacker. The people you think you pay will become angry because the money you think to send never does arrive at them. Of course, the malicious client can be intelligent enough to wait until the is some real amount of coins in the play. One day you'll think you bought a car but the money is somewhere else. The same applies, for example, if the payment addresses you receive are modified by some malicious e-mail program.

::So what is the bottom line? Encrypting the wallet helps against a roommate stealing your coins if he has two minutes of physical access to your computer. It helps against burglary and forgetting the laptop in the train. It generally does NOT help against compromise of the system. The '''whole''' system '''must''' be kept safe, not just the data in the wallet. And this is not something that the bitcoin software is responsible for. It is the responsibility of the user to install and maintain a secure system. It is a fundamental fallacy to expect that a certain piece of software should still work as the user expects if the whole system is not any more under the control of the user. In this sense, bitcoin can not go mainstream. Instead, main stream users need to reach some point of mental sanity. --[[User:Joise|Joise]] 09:14, 14 August 2011 (GMT)

====Added a new entry to backup methods====
[[WalletPaperbackup]] Is a great way to get your wallet out of the digital world and onto paper
--[[User:Jrwr|Jrwr]] 02:02, 24 June 2011 (GMT)

== Unsecure suggestion for passwords ==

Especially with Bitcoins the Password advice from Gibson Research is dangerous because passwords must
also be safe in the future when it comes to wallet storing.
This is definitely not given with this system. It might be true, that
with today's brute-force tools, the "d0g..........." pw is safer than
hkjhHZ756s=&g%7 but in the very near future (maybe already exists)
there will be new tools, that will find out, what kind of simplifiers
are often used by humans and will combine brutforce with simplifiers
and thus come to "d0g............" very quickly!

== Section 4.2 ==
If you recommend that one backup wallet.dat on a mac via creating an encrypted image file, don't you think you should also remind the user to backup his ~/Library/Keychains directory? There is little point in backing up wallet.dmg on Wuala or whatever if you lose your AES key to the image, and the scenario when you need to recover wallet.dmg is probably the scenario where you've also lost ~/Library/Keychains... e.g. laptop stolent, etc.

== Back-Translation of German Version ==

Hi,

I have translated the page to the German Version, expanded it by several points and concepts which seem important to me - namely, a disticion between data confidentality, system integrity and the notion of technical compromise, and adapted the ordering according to these concepts. Here is the back-translated version as a suggestion what could be expanded. I've translated it quickly using Google Translate, that means wording and style can't be expected to be perfect. Nevertheless, I hope it's helpful. --[[User:Joise|Joise]] 09:14, 14 August 2011 (GMT)

----

=== Introduction ===
The security of the wallet can be divided into two separate objectives:

1. Safeguard against loss

2. Secure against theft

In the case of a currently not adequately secured wallet (eg with a weak password uploaded on the Internet):

3. New, create a mew secure wallet (with a reasonably long password)

=== Technical background ===
The important first objective of the design of the wallet is protection against data loss. The personal bitcoin wallet has a pool of queued keys stored in a file named wallet.dat. The default number is 100 keys in the [[Key Pool | Key pool.]] The number of can be adjusted with the "-keypool" parameter in the command line. If for some reason you need a new address, it is not generated on the fly, but taken from the pool. A new key is then created to fill the pool back to 100 keys. If a backup is first created, it contains all used keys plus 100 unused ones. After a transaction, 99 unused keys remain. After 100 operations which require a new key, new keys are used, which are not present in the backup. Because the backup does not have these new keys, this backup can possibly lead to a recovery loss of Bitcoins if the wallet file is destroyed, for example by a head crash.

The safety of deposits in Bitcoin depends on three conditions:
# The '''confidentiality (secrecy)''' of the private key for the entire time from initial production to final use
# The '''integrity''' of the software on the system used.
# As well as the '''protection from loss of wallet''' eg by failure of the hard disk

The bitcoin software assumes (for very good reasons) that integrity and confidentality of the computer and user account is intact. The reason for this is that, strictly spoken, securing the computer is not the business of some application software like bitcoin. A computer which has not '''both''' its confidentiality '''and''' integrity ensured, is '''compromised'''. This means, that it can not longer be excluded that Bitcoins are stolen. A computer on which '''malware''' in the form of some trojan is installed or which runs any virus, is always compromised. All data - including the bitcoin wallet - could be "stolen". On the other hand - and this is far more far-reaching and important - the other software on the computer is absolutely no longer under control of the user. A compromised system can '''only''' be brought back to a safe condition if it is completely erased, fully installed with a fresh operating system and all new security updates are applied. A "disinfection" of virus-infected programs is not enough! Erasing the old, compromised system can also mean it is necessary to flash the BIOS and do a BIOS update - there is some malware which modifies the BIOS.

A password that belongs to a data backup must be permanently protected from loss just like the files themselves, otherwise in case of doubt the backup is worthless.

=== Securing the confidentiality and integrity of the Wallet and Software ===

==== Creating a New Wallet ====

In the event that the wallet was possibly or actually stored in a compromised state, or spreaded, it is wise to create a new wallet and to transfer all money amounts in the old wallet to the new. Once this is done, someone who has attained knowledge of the old private keys, can not longer use them to steal bitcoins. Keep in mind that leaked keys can be used much later from their generation. For example, if you generate some keys to day, transfer them to a new computer in three years, and throw the old computer in ten years to the trash, and it still contains keys that you have created today, these could still be used to access bitcoins that you received in the meantime.

Creating a new wallet can be useful, for example, if someone has saved a wallet with a password of 12 characters for a service online. Meanwhile, passwords with 12 up to about 15 characters are decoded and the private keys are no longer safe. The strategy only to re-encrypt the wallet is not enough, because the keys are not safe.

==== Creating a safe and secure work space ====

Large and complex programs like Web browsers are never completely safe. Therefore, it is extremely useful, not to run the Bitcoin client program with the user identity that you use to surf the Web or read e-mails. The modern operating systems can isolate applications for different user IDs from each other quite effectively, and this is a huge advantage to security.

===== Digression: Secure Passwords =====

====== Passwords ======
A proven method for producing safe, but still learnable passwords goes as follows:

* Make up a nonsense phrase like
"Thirty crows fly backwards to the moon, but they do not have a ticket."
The more bizarre the sentence, the better you remember it.

* The first letters and numbers are used for the password:
30CfbwttM,btdnhaT

* Now we get creative and replace a few characters, eg "A" looks like but like "4":
30Cfbw2tM,b|dnh@T

* Now insert one or a few signs that are not found on English keyboards [https://en.bitcoin.it/wiki/Microsoft_Windows_Unicode_Input (Tips)]:
3ß0Cþfböw2tM,b|dnh@฿T

Strong passwords are now, where huge computing resources like hashed databases and botnets are available for cracking, about 15 to 20 characters long. Few people can remember so long passwords error-free, especially if they make some longer holiday. Therefore, write to the password and put it in his wallet. (That's still heretical but I have a good Reference - [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bruce_Schneier Bruce Schneier] [http://www.schneier.com/blog/archives/2005/06/write_down_your.html])

* To protect against unauthorized use of the written down password one should append some characters that you really have in your head.

Now it is so that a forgotten password is at least as bad as a cracked. A button labeled "Forgot your password, sent new by e-mail" does not exist in Bitcoin. '''So the consequence of "Password away" is inevitable "money away "'''. Don't forget that!

*'''The written-down password''' should be preserved in something like a bank deposit box (can be rented for a few bucks yearly) or in a fireproof safe. I you have USD 100,000 in BTC, you want to have a fireproof safe if your house has burned down. Believe me.

====== Passphrases (password phrases) or mantras ======

* An alternative to passwords which has at least the same strength against techniques like rainbow tables, '''but is in comparison much easier to remember''' is the use of '''pass-phrases''' or a "mantra". The required length depends on the use. Passphrases for online services may be safe enough with four common words. Secure passphrases for files (which can be rapidly tried off-line) should contain at least six unusual words and at least 35 characters in length. This [http://www.explainxkcd.com/2011/08/10/password-strength/ comic by XKCD] explains the principle.

* An example sentence would be: "The Lemon flambé the okapi a phosphorescent absolution."

* Much of the strength of this method relies on technical reasons: Once a password has reached a certain minimal complexity, the fastest way to crack the password is a brute-force search with rainbow tables and charts. And since for this methods, the length of the password is the decisive factor, long pass phrases, which are comparatively much better to remember, win over short very complex passwords (which are hard to remember but easier to crack).

* In-depth information on passphrases here: [http://www.iusmentis.com/security/passphrasefaq/ passphrase FAQ] by Randall T. Williams.

* Warning: Completely unsuitable are fixed expressions and popular idioms. Don't use any meaningful sentence and anything that might be published on the web.

===== Special Linux distributions =====

To secure a Windows system comprehensively is a complex and difficult task. Securing which is appropriate for the administration of five-figure amounts requires knowledge which the average user does not have.

As an alternative, there are some special Linux distributions. Using them, one can create a secure space specially for Bitcoin, and they require almost no setup:

* [http://www.heise.de/ct/projekte/Sicheres-Online-Banking-mit-Bankix-284099.html c't Bankix], a distribution for online banking, is a adapted and, of course, free version of Ubuntu that was created by the renowned German Heise magazine publisher. Following to the (important) first update the system will be put on a read-only medium and cannot longer be manipulated by unauthorized changes to the software.
* [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Damn_Small_Linux Damn Small Linux] is a popular, small Debian-based Linux, which contains only the most important functions and thus provides less attack surface. The derivation from Debian guarantees speedy and thorough security updates.
* [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Knoppix Knoppix] is a popular live-CD distribution with excellent hardware detection, which has a slightly larger footprint than Damn Small Linux, and a number of interesting features. For example, it offers support for blind and visually impaired persons.
* [http://forum.bitcoin.org/index.php?topic=7374 LinuxCoin], many additional functions for mining

The following distributions are suitable only for users with good knowledge. However, their excellent safety features makes them quite interesting starting points for Bitcoin Appliances:

* [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tin_Hat_Linux Tin Hat Linux] is a [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hardened_Gentoo Hardened Gentoo] derivative. In addition to a very small size and a very comprehensive encryption it has interesting additional security features, such as [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grsecurity Grsecurity].
* [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alpine_Linux Alpine Linux] uses, similar to Tin Hat Linux etc. Kernel functions with Stack Smashing Protection. It uses instead of the standard glibc the uClibc, which means that the Bitcoin client needs to be compiled specifically for this distribution.

===== Linux =====
====== Protected user account ======

The first step is [https://help.ubuntu.com/8.04/serverguide/C/user-management.html to create a new user], which goes with the command:

sudo adduser <code> new_user_name </ code>

On the message "Enter a new value or press ENTER for the default" one needs only to press the Return key.

Then do you register as a new user, eg "Switch User" with (at Ubuntu in the menu to log off). If you are logged in, we search for the file manager, select this from the home directory (with the house icon), then right-click "Properties", then the access permissions. Here you select "Other" and set the permissions to "nobody". With this step, other programs can not read the other user's wallet.

The newly created user should be safe to use in order to keep him safe, exclusively for Bitcoin.

There is also a good idea to encrypt this user's home directory with the package ecryptfs-utils.

# If the home directory is not empty, first backup it to some other medium.
# Now install ecryptfs-utils (Ubuntu: sudo apt-get install ecryptfs-utils)
# From X11 (graphical system) log and log in with Ctrl + Alt + F1 in the Linux console - if you are logged in X11, the home directory is encrypted.
# The current directory change so that it is not in the home folder, eg "Cd /".
# The migration tool to run: (in Ubuntu: sudo ecryptfs-migrate-home-u username)
# If it succeeds then you can press ALT + F8 to go back and log in X11.
# Run the command 'ecryptfs-unwrap-passphrase'. Without exception '''write and store the code that you receive on a secure medium''. '''Without this code no data - including the wallet - can be accessed if the system does not work'''
# Run the command 'ecryptfs-setup-swap' run, which encrypts the swap partition. Otherwise, keys in your purse in plain text can go to the the swap partition where they might be stolen. This unfortunately also means that "idle" or Hibernate can not be used anymore because the bootloader can not restore the dump. An more conventient alternative is to overwrite the swap partition when you shut down the machine (after the deactivation of virtual memory) with random data.

(Instructions from [http://bodhizazen.net/Tutorials/Ecryptfs/ # Migrate])

====== For more information ======
* [https://help.ubuntu.com/community/Security Security features on ubuntu]

* [http://www.techrepublic.com/blog/10things/10-ways-to-secure-your-linux-desktop/359 10 ways to secure your lInux desktop]

===== Windows =====

* [http://windows.microsoft.com/de-DE/windows7/help/security-privacy-user-accounts Basics]

* Create an extra user, under which only the Bitcoin software is running. So the wallet is somewhat protected from malicious code in applications for other users:
** [http://support.microsoft.com/kb/905056/en Windows XP]
** [http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows7/Create-a-user-account Windows 7]

====Browser Security ====

===== Firefox =====
To secure the browser, you start Firefox, go to menu "Edit" (edit), and select "Preferences" (Settings).

* Now you start with the tabs on the left, select the "Startup" option "Show a blank page" (Clean Slate).
* By "content" (content)
** The option "Load images automatically / Load images automatically" opt out,
** Also "Enable Javascript Enable / javascript" opt out.
* In the tab "privacy / data protection" in the "History / History History," select "Never remember history" / "do not save history".
* In the tab "Security" in the "Passwords"
** The "remember passwords / passwords save" deselect
** Also "use a master password" / "master password".
* Finally, in the tab "Advanced" / "Advanced" option
** "Automatically check for updates" deselect
** As "add-ons" and
** "Search engines" / "search engines" opt out.

If Javascript is disabled, the page linux download page] to download new versions of the Bitcoin Clients will no longer automatically download, so you have to link to the "direct link" on notice "Problems with the download? Please use this 'direct link' or try another mirror." . click Once you make the effort made, of course you checked the download of new clients Bitcoin the checksums, which are indicated on the sourceforge page, with the program sha1.

=== Protect against data loss: Backup ===
Secure the only file you need is the wallet.dat. Advance to make sure that Bitcoin not running anymore! The best way would be to encrypt the file and store somewhere safe.

You can also [[API | backupwallet]] JSON-RPC command used to create a backup on the fly.

==== Where to find the Bitcoin folder ====
The [[Bitcoin folder]] is the folder where the data is wallet.dat along with the file.

===== Windows =====
Click on "Start", then Run and enter this:
:% APPDATA% \ Bitcoin
A folder should open now, for most it would be:
C: \ Documents and Settings \ username \ Application Data \ Bitcoin (XP)
C: \ Users \ username \ appdata \ roaming \ Bitcoin (Vista and 7)



===== Linux =====
Bitcoin should create a hidden folder in your home directory of the running user.
~ /. Bitcoin /

It should not be there, it can be possibly due
Find /-name wallet.dat-print 2> / dev / null
. find Or as root
: Updatedb
followed by
: Locate wallet.dat

The handiest backup method under Linux is probably the copy on one or more wallet.dat used for USB flash drives or memory cards that are kept in a safe place (fireproof safe, bank safe, aquarium with piranhas, etc).

====== Individual encryption of the wallet.dat file ======
* For individual encryption of the purse, the available cross-platform program'''[http://ccrypt.sourceforge.net/ ccrypt]''' is well suited. It encodes a variant of the AES Rijndael algorithm. a recognized standard, which is considered very safe. The plain-text version of Wallet.dat will be replaced automatically. As with all strong encryption, a careful backup of data and keys is essential - under Linux, the risk of loss due to forgetting the key is much higher than by computer intrusions and malware.

* For automatic storage of encrypted copies GnuPG (Gnu Privacy Guard) is well suited. To encrypt data, ones need only the public key. Only to decrypt a backup, the private key is used, which can be stored otherwise in a safe place. Using a fixed pair of keys reduces also the risk of loss of a key by unnoticed typos when typing them.

* Additional protection against attacks by key loggers provide smart cards and hardware tokens like the [http://www.privacyfoundation.de/crypto_stick/ Crypto Stick] the Deutsch Privacy Foundation or the GnuPG Fellowship smart card. The special advantage is that you GnuPG keys that are very safe due to their length, and can be stored on the smart card. A six-digit PIN code protects the contents of the smart card. If it is entered incorrectly multiple times, then the content will be deleted. [https://www.privacyfoundation.de/wiki/CryptoStickSoftware instructions here].

* Together with the FUSE-based file system [http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/EncFS EncFS] can you also back up individual files as wallet.dat individually. The entire list can Bitcoin but are not used because the database is encrypted with EncFS.

===== Mac =====

''Note: The following instruction are not checked due to lack of hardware. Please check and correct if necessary, then remove the note!''

The directory containing the Bitcoin wallet.dat is usually here:
~ / Library / Application Support / Bitcoin /

====== Secure all data (500 megabytes) ======
These steps (chain wallet and block) of all data stored on Bitcoin an encrypted disk image:
# Disk Utility Open
# Click on "New Image", 500MB, 128-bit or 256-bit (faster or more secure) encryption specify eintelne partition.
# Copy in a place where you will not lose the image (eg Wuala, Strong Space ofer whatever)
# A strong and secure password select
# Copy everything from ~ / Library / Application Support / Bitcoin / in the image
# Create symlink to the old place, so the app can benuutzen it
::: Ln-s / Volumes / Bitcoin ~ / Library / Application Support / Bitcoin

Do not forget to mount the image before using Bitcoin and unmount afterwards.

====== Backup file wallet.dat purses alone (40MB ) ======
These steps only protect the file wallet.dat. This causes a small memory dump, but is more complicated.

# Disk Utility Open
# Click on "New Image", 40MB, 128-bit or 256-bit, single select partition.
# Store in a place where you will not lose the backup.
# A secure and strong password, select
# The file wallet.dat move in the image
# Create symlink to the old place, so the app can find and use the file
::: Ln-s / Volumes / Bitcoin / wallet.dat ~ / Library / Application Support / Bitcoin / wallet.dat

[[File: MountWalletAndLauchnBitcoin_OSX_Automator.png | thumbnail | 150px | Mount Wallet and launch Bitcoin]]
Do not forget to mount the image before using Bitcoin and unmount afterwards.

'''Note:''' If you start the application Bitcoin without the image is mounted, the program is the symlink (a kind of shortcut) wallet.dat with the new one. Do not panic! Rename the new order wallet.dat or delete it, mount the image, and just put a new symlink. The old wallet.dat may of course be canceled under any circumstances.

'''Automation:''' The program [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Automator_% 29% 28software Automator] (included in OS X) can automatically mount your wallet and start Bitcoin App.

Alternatively, the following shell script can be used to decrypt wallet.dat which automatically starts the Bitcoin client, and they subsequently re-encrypted. The script works for sowoghl for OSX and Linux: [http://lorelei.kaverit.org/bitcoin.sh Bitcoin-launch-script]

==== General solution ====
wallet.dat is not usually encrypted, everyone who has access to the file, can freely dispose of the coins. You can encrypt your wallet.dat with one of these programs, should there be the slightest chance that someone else has access.

Note: Encryption does not protect the wallet against security risk ''after'' they have occured. Encryping a wallet after finding a computer virus or a trojan helps absolutely nothing. Also, encryption does not help against the complete loss of control which a system compromise means.

* [http://www.7-zip.org/ 7-Zip]
* [http://www.axantum.com/axcrypt/ AxCrypt]
* [http://www.truecrypt.org/ TrueCrypt]
* [http://www.rarlab.com/ WinRar]
* [http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/EncFS EncFS] (Linux)

==== Encryption with Smart Card ====

Folders can be encrypted with GnuPG-compatible smart card. A very secure solution is to stick the Crypto Deutsch Privacy Foundation:

[http://www.privacyfoundation.de/crypto_stick/ Crypto Stick overview]

[https://www.privacyfoundation.de/wiki/CryptoStickSoftware Intallation and use]

==== Storing the Archives ====
A backup on Flash Media / Memory Sticks and storing them in secure locations is a reasonable solution.

=== BOTG: Bitcoin Off The Grid===
* Another alternative that is suitable for high security requirements,is "BOTG - Bitcoin off-the-grid" [http://forum.bitcoin.org/index.php?topic=7374.msg108351 see info in the announcement to LinuxCoin]. It is a script that can create a key pair ''without'' Internet connection. As the private keys are created on a system that does not have Internet access, and are stored offline, they can not get lost via the Internet. The public key can be passed on and received as normal transactions that can be looked up in block Explorer. Only if you want to use the fund, you must import the private key into a Bitcoin client. From then on, the normal safety precautions apply.

=Securing your wallet on Ubuntu and/or Suse=
For users that use a Linux system that comes with AppArmor, it is probably possible to use
the MinorFs system with a procedure not unlike that described here for secure ssh without a passphrase:

http://minorfs.polacanthus.net/wiki/Ssh_private_keys_without_passphrase

Its a bit of a hack, but it would make it impossible for malware running under the same user id as
bitcoin to gain access to the wallet.

It may be worth it if someone would describe the correct procedure to secure the bitcoin wallet using MinorFs/AppArmor in a way similar to described in the above link for ssh keys without passphrases.

Talk:Main Page

2012-01-07T11:28:30Z

The description of bitcoin is similiar to wikipedia article.--[[User:Kiba|Kiba]] 19:53, 16 December 2010 (GMT)
: It seems that the beginning of the introduction was made by Grondilu (french guy who sometimes comes on irc and auctions gold on the forum), see [http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Bitcoin&diff=402269158&oldid=402260422]. Since most of the bitcoin article on wikipedia was put together by the bitcoin community, it shouldn't be too difficult to have them accept publication here. In the meantime I see no harm keeping this for a few days, until we either get explicit authorization, or rewrite it into something more personnal. [[User:MagicalTux|MagicalTux]] 21:47, 16 December 2010 (GMT)
:: In the meantime I have added a "wikipedia" source, thru adhering with the wikipedia CC by-sa license. [[User:MagicalTux|MagicalTux]] 21:49, 16 December 2010 (GMT)
:::Authorisation isn't needed. We're complying with the Wikipedia license by sourcing their work. Shouldn't matter. [[User:Genjix|Genjix]] 03:31, 19 December 2010 (GMT)

I don't like "the idea of using digital files as money" -- maybe "the idea of using digital information as money" ? 'files' has too specific a meaning in the computer context. Then again, most dollars and euros and other conventional currency are nothing but accounting entries in various databases.--[[User:Gavinandresen|Gavin Andresen]] 16:20, 22 December 2010 (GMT)
: Maybe using with "bits of data"? (it's BITcoin after all). Anyway "files" doesn't seem appropriate... [[User:MagicalTux|MagicalTux]] 12:25, 23 December 2010 (GMT)
::"bits of data" sounds equally weird. I changed it to information. However, is it really information? Information is supposed to be human-readable quantitative data, whereas data is the raw stream... It doesn't fit data or information as it's a solution to a mathematical operation. We could write "the idea of using computed solutions to mathematical problems as money". [[User:Genjix|Genjix]] 16:38, 23 December 2010 (GMT)
:::Ok, on second thought, I changed it. [[User:Genjix|Genjix]] 16:39, 23 December 2010 (GMT)

== Header capitalisation ==

Please refrain from using Initial Caps in your titles. Use One initial cap; it's the style in current usage.
For names such as Bitcoin Market, capitalise each letter of the word only for that name
e.g "How to use Bitcoin Market".[[User:Genjix|Genjix]] 07:23, 30 December 2010 (GMT)
:Lets stick to the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Naming_conventions_(capitalization) Wikipedia style guide]. [[User:Genjix|Genjix]] 21:07, 9 January 2011 (GMT)

== Fonts for source code ==

MT, can you make the fonts bigger? I can hardly see the fonts for the <source> snippets. Thanks. [[User:Genjix|Genjix]] 07:23, 30 December 2010 (GMT)
: For the source snippets, this can be done by editing [[MediaWiki:Geshi.css]] I guess, use the discussion page there [[User:MagicalTux|MagicalTux]] 14:59, 31 December 2010 (GMT)
::Thanks. I didn't know about that- well you've sorted it now anyway ;) [[User:Genjix|Genjix]] 21:09, 9 January 2011 (GMT)

==Further Languages==

There now are wiki URLs here for two languages in addition to English. How do bitcoin wikis for additional languages get started? For example, there are a number of bitcoin users whose primary language is spanish. Bitcoin has a number of German language readers too ... for example [http://www.go-bitcoin.com Go-Bitcoin]]. [[User:sgornick]] 18:01, 8 February 2011 (GMT)
: Those informations are available on the [[Bitcoin.it Wiki]] page. [[User:MagicalTux|MagicalTux]] 08:30, 16 February 2011 (GMT)

== Recent Changes showing New Users ==

Would an administrator please remove new users from the recent changes? It generally clogs it up and isn't helpful for editors. Thanks! --[[User:Firestorm|<span style="text-shadow:orange 0px 0px 3px;"><font color="#FF6600"><tt><big><u>'''Firestorm'''</u></big></tt></font>]]</span> 05:10, 26 May 2011 (GMT)

== Contents of "Topic central" ==
I suggest adding "services". [[User:Phelix|Phelix]] 12:30, 15 September 2011 (GMT)

This link should be displayed more prominently. Maybe something like: "spend coins". Also "trade" is very misleading because it is easy to think of trading bitcoins on an exchange but not buying goods and services.
https://en.bitcoin.it/wiki/Trade

== Protect main page ==

The main page is the perfect opportunity for vandalism. Although having it unprotected allows everyone to improve it (which is uncommon), the risk is too great when the edit could just be done by an administrator. [[User:X|X]] 11:27, 7 January 2012 (GMT)

Talk:Main Page

2012-01-07T11:27:24Z

X: /* Protect main page */ new section

The description of bitcoin is similiar to wikipedia article.--[[User:Kiba|Kiba]] 19:53, 16 December 2010 (GMT)
: It seems that the beginning of the introduction was made by Grondilu (french guy who sometimes comes on irc and auctions gold on the forum), see [http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Bitcoin&diff=402269158&oldid=402260422]. Since most of the bitcoin article on wikipedia was put together by the bitcoin community, it shouldn't be too difficult to have them accept publication here. In the meantime I see no harm keeping this for a few days, until we either get explicit authorization, or rewrite it into something more personnal. [[User:MagicalTux|MagicalTux]] 21:47, 16 December 2010 (GMT)
:: In the meantime I have added a "wikipedia" source, thru adhering with the wikipedia CC by-sa license. [[User:MagicalTux|MagicalTux]] 21:49, 16 December 2010 (GMT)
:::Authorisation isn't needed. We're complying with the Wikipedia license by sourcing their work. Shouldn't matter. [[User:Genjix|Genjix]] 03:31, 19 December 2010 (GMT)

I don't like "the idea of using digital files as money" -- maybe "the idea of using digital information as money" ? 'files' has too specific a meaning in the computer context. Then again, most dollars and euros and other conventional currency are nothing but accounting entries in various databases.--[[User:Gavinandresen|Gavin Andresen]] 16:20, 22 December 2010 (GMT)
: Maybe using with "bits of data"? (it's BITcoin after all). Anyway "files" doesn't seem appropriate... [[User:MagicalTux|MagicalTux]] 12:25, 23 December 2010 (GMT)
::"bits of data" sounds equally weird. I changed it to information. However, is it really information? Information is supposed to be human-readable quantitative data, whereas data is the raw stream... It doesn't fit data or information as it's a solution to a mathematical operation. We could write "the idea of using computed solutions to mathematical problems as money". [[User:Genjix|Genjix]] 16:38, 23 December 2010 (GMT)
:::Ok, on second thought, I changed it. [[User:Genjix|Genjix]] 16:39, 23 December 2010 (GMT)

== Header capitalisation ==

Please refrain from using Initial Caps in your titles. Use One initial cap; it's the style in current usage.
For names such as Bitcoin Market, capitalise each letter of the word only for that name
e.g "How to use Bitcoin Market".[[User:Genjix|Genjix]] 07:23, 30 December 2010 (GMT)
:Lets stick to the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Naming_conventions_(capitalization) Wikipedia style guide]. [[User:Genjix|Genjix]] 21:07, 9 January 2011 (GMT)

== Fonts for source code ==

MT, can you make the fonts bigger? I can hardly see the fonts for the <source> snippets. Thanks. [[User:Genjix|Genjix]] 07:23, 30 December 2010 (GMT)
: For the source snippets, this can be done by editing [[MediaWiki:Geshi.css]] I guess, use the discussion page there [[User:MagicalTux|MagicalTux]] 14:59, 31 December 2010 (GMT)
::Thanks. I didn't know about that- well you've sorted it now anyway ;) [[User:Genjix|Genjix]] 21:09, 9 January 2011 (GMT)

==Further Languages==

There now are wiki URLs here for two languages in addition to English. How do bitcoin wikis for additional languages get started? For example, there are a number of bitcoin users whose primary language is spanish. Bitcoin has a number of German language readers too ... for example [http://www.go-bitcoin.com Go-Bitcoin]]. [[User:sgornick]] 18:01, 8 February 2011 (GMT)
: Those informations are available on the [[Bitcoin.it Wiki]] page. [[User:MagicalTux|MagicalTux]] 08:30, 16 February 2011 (GMT)

== Recent Changes showing New Users ==

Would an administrator please remove new users from the recent changes? It generally clogs it up and isn't helpful for editors. Thanks! --[[User:Firestorm|<span style="text-shadow:orange 0px 0px 3px;"><font color="#FF6600"><tt><big><u>'''Firestorm'''</u></big></tt></font>]]</span> 05:10, 26 May 2011 (GMT)

== Contents of "Topic central" ==
I suggest adding "services". [[User:Phelix|Phelix]] 12:30, 15 September 2011 (GMT)

This link should be displayed more prominently. Maybe something like: "spend coins". Also "trade" is very misleading because it is easy to think of trading bitcoins on an exchange but not buying goods and services.
https://en.bitcoin.it/wiki/Trade

== Protect main page ==

The main page is the perfect opportunity for vandalism. Although having it unprotected allows anyone to improve it (which is uncommon), the risk is too great when the edit could just be done by an administrator. [[User:X|X]] 11:27, 7 January 2012 (GMT)

Template:MainPage Intro

2012-01-06T15:47:28Z

[[Image:Bitcoin world map.png|left|200px|Bitcoin usage worldwide.]]

'''Bitcoin''' is a [[digital currency]] created in 2009 by [[Satoshi Nakamoto]]. It is also the name of the open source software designed in order to use this currency.

Bitcoin is one of the first implementations of a concept called ''crypto-currency'', which was first described in 1998 by Wei Dai on the cypherpunks mailing list. Building upon the notion that money is any object, or any sort of record, accepted as payment for goods and services and repayment of debts in a given country or socio-economic context, Bitcoin is designed around the idea of using cryptography to control the creation and transfer of money, rather than relying on central authorities.
:''Sourced from [[wikipedia:Bitcoin|Wikipedia]].''

{|style="background-color: inherit;"
|
* [http://sourceforge.net/projects/bitcoin/files/Bitcoin/bitcoin-0.5.1/bitcoin-0.5.1-win32-setup.exe/download '''Windows (exe)'''] [http://sourceforge.net/projects/bitcoin/files/Bitcoin/bitcoin-0.5.1/bitcoin-0.5.1-win32.zip/download '''(zip)'''] 8.7 MB
* [http://sourceforge.net/projects/bitcoin/files/Bitcoin/bitcoin-0.5.1/bitcoin-0.5.1-linux.tar.gz/download '''GNU/Linux'''] 9.3 MB
* [http://sourceforge.net/projects/bitcoin/files/Bitcoin/bitcoin-0.5.1/bitcoin-0.5.1-macosx.dmg/download '''Mac OS X'''] 14.6 MB
|}

Help:Installing Bitcoin Core

2012-01-06T15:43:18Z

An account can effortlessly be created using an [[eWallet]] service. eWallet services provide an online wallet to hold your bitcoins.

This guide covers installing Bitcoin without needing a third party wallet service.

== For Windows computers ==

=== Installation ===
[http://sourceforge.net/projects/bitcoin/files/Bitcoin/bitcoin-0.5.1/bitcoin-0.5.1-win32-setup.exe/download Download Bitcoin] and install it.

[[File:Install fin.png|frame|none|Complete installation wizard]]

=== Initialization ===

The first time you run Bitcoin, it needs to download all the blocks to setup. You already have your bitcoin address at this point, but you won't see any transactions before the initialisation is complete (it can take from half to a few hours).

[[File:First time run fin.png|frame|none|Bitcoin is initialising by establishing a connection to other clients and downloading the blocks.]]

[[File:Bitcoin all blocks fin.png|frame|none|Completed download of block-chain.]]

Your address (you can have as many as you want) is at the top. Below is your balance which will be zero. The list below shows your transactions.

== For Mac computers ==
[http://downloads.sourceforge.net/project/bitcoin/Bitcoin/bitcoin-0.5.1/bitcoin-0.5.1-macosx.dmg Download Bitcoin] and expand the disk image.

[[File:BcOSX.png|frame|none|Contents of the Bitcoin disk image after expansion]]

Drag the Bitcoin icon to the desired install location, and double-click the icon to run the application. The Bitcoin window will open and connections will start up in minutes. The blocks will begin downloading. Your address and balance are at the top of the window. Click "Copy to clipboard" to copy your address. Transactions are displayed in the main window.

[[File:BcOSXrunning.png|frame|none|Main window]]
[[File:BcOSXPreferences.png|frame|none|Preferences window on OS X]]

== Getting my first coins ==

The [[Bitcoin Faucet]] [https://freebitcoins.appspot.com/ website] currently hands out 0.001 BTC to new bitcoin users. Fill in the form with your bitcoin address. [http://www.wesmeredith.com/bitbybit/ Bit by Bit] is another website which provides.001 BTC for free and can be used daily. It also offers weekly lottery drawings for beginners. When you wish to add more, view [[Buying bitcoins]].

[[File:Get some btc.png|frame|none|Getting free coins from the Faucet]]

A new entry should appear in Bitcoin. The network hasn't yet confirmed it, but you know it's being processed. After about one hour it should get 6 confirmations. You are able to spend the coins when there is only one confirmation.

The confirmation counter (like the block counter) will increase by one roughly every 10 minutes. Six confirmations are considered as 100% sure a transfer has been processed.

[[File:First btc recv.png|frame|none]]

[[File:Six confirms bitcoin client.png|frame|none]]

* The [[Trade]] article shows hundreds of merchants who accept bitcoins.

== Buying coins on Bitcoinmarket24.com via SEPA or wire transfer (EUR only) ==
Go to [https://bitcoinmarket24.com/ Bitcoinmarket24]

# If you want to use instant payment, enter the desired amount fo Bitcoins as well as your bitcoin address and klick on next (optionally enter your e-mailaddress)
# Enter your payment details on the following side (TÜV certified)
# You receive your Bitcoins within less than one minute (note: you still need to wait for the confirmations of the network)

# Alternatively click on "Switch to traditional SEPA bitcoin purchase"
# Enter amount of Bitcoins, bitcoin-address, name of bank account holder and your e-mailaddress
# Click on "Next"
# Check your data and click on "Next"
# You receive all data that you need to do the transfer
# After 1 day for German transfer and 1-3 days for European SEPA transfer you will be credited your Bitcoins

== Points to remember ==

* You don't need to be online to receive BTC.
* You can create as many new addresses as you like. Using a different address each time helps keep you [[Anonymity|anonymous]].
* You can be [[Anonymity|anonymous]] with adequate precautions.
* You cannot send BTC to an invalid address. Typos are not a worry as the payment will refuse to send.
* The [[Wallet|wallet]] file holds the keys that allow spending and thus the computer should be [[Securing_your_wallet|protected]] from the risk of loss and theft.
* Leaving Bitcoin open improves connectivity for the network and ensures that you don't fall behind on the block chain. Also see [[FAQ#Do_I_need_to_configure_my_firewall_to_run_bitcoin?|the FAQ about port forwarding]]

Proceed to the [[Introduction|introduction]]

== Technical ==
=== Block chain ===
The [[block chain]] is a never-ending story of every transaction throughout the network from day 1 (genesis). The first time you run Bitcoin, it is downloaded and verified on your computer. Every new transaction is added to the end of this chain and verified by the network to be valid.

=== Addresses ===
Whenever you send a coin, you are actually sending a cryptographically signed message, associating your coin with the recipient's address. This effectively transfers ownership to to the recipient. Once they own the coin, they are free to transfer it to another person.

A wallet is a collection of addresses. You can create as many new addresses as you wish; having more addresses makes you more anonymous, because then people cannot see how much BTC you received. Your wallet contains the secret keys used for spending that money, and must be [[Securing your wallet|backed-up regularly]]. If you lose the wallet then you no longer possess the money.

=== Generating ===
New coins are mined through generating hashes. These generators are rewarded with a small fee for the computationally intensive task of incorporating your transactions into the block-chain. This fee halves each time 210000 blocks are added to the block chain, or approximately every 4 years. The fee will keep halving until it effectively reaches zero, at which point 21 million coins will be in circulation.

[[Category:Introduction]]

[[de:Erste Schritte]]
[[zh-cn:入门]]

Help:Installing Bitcoin Core

2012-01-06T15:42:17Z

An account can effortlessly be created using an [[eWallet]] service. eWallet services provide an online wallet to hold your bitcoins.

This guide covers installing Bitcoin without needing a third party wallet service.

== For Windows computers ==

=== Installation ===
[http://sourceforge.net/projects/bitcoin/files/Bitcoin/bitcoin-0.5.1/bitcoin-0.5.1-win32-setup.exe/download Download] and install Bitcoin.

[[File:Install fin.png|frame|none|Complete installation wizard]]

=== Initialization ===

The first time you run Bitcoin, it needs to download all the blocks to setup. You already have your bitcoin address at this point, but you won't see any transactions before the initialisation is complete (it can take from half to a few hours).

[[File:First time run fin.png|frame|none|Bitcoin is initialising by establishing a connection to other clients and downloading the blocks.]]

[[File:Bitcoin all blocks fin.png|frame|none|Completed download of block-chain.]]

Your address (you can have as many as you want) is at the top. Below is your balance which will be zero. The list below shows your transactions.

== For Mac computers ==

Download [http://downloads.sourceforge.net/project/bitcoin/Bitcoin/bitcoin-0.5.1/bitcoin-0.5.1-macosx.dmg Bitcoin] and expand the disk image.

[[File:BcOSX.png|frame|none|Contents of the Bitcoin disk image after expansion]]

Drag the Bitcoin icon to the desired install location, and double-click the icon to run the application. The Bitcoin window will open and connections will start up in minutes. The blocks will begin downloading. Your address and balance are at the top of the window. Click "Copy to clipboard" to copy your address. Transactions are displayed in the main window.

[[File:BcOSXrunning.png|frame|none|Main window]]
[[File:BcOSXPreferences.png|frame|none|Preferences window on OS X]]

== Getting my first coins ==

The [[Bitcoin Faucet]] [https://freebitcoins.appspot.com/ website] currently hands out 0.001 BTC to new bitcoin users. Fill in the form with your bitcoin address. [http://www.wesmeredith.com/bitbybit/ Bit by Bit] is another website which provides.001 BTC for free and can be used daily. It also offers weekly lottery drawings for beginners. When you wish to add more, view [[Buying bitcoins]].

[[File:Get some btc.png|frame|none|Getting free coins from the Faucet]]

A new entry should appear in Bitcoin. The network hasn't yet confirmed it, but you know it's being processed. After about one hour it should get 6 confirmations. You are able to spend the coins when there is only one confirmation.

The confirmation counter (like the block counter) will increase by one roughly every 10 minutes. Six confirmations are considered as 100% sure a transfer has been processed.

[[File:First btc recv.png|frame|none]]

[[File:Six confirms bitcoin client.png|frame|none]]

* The [[Trade]] article shows hundreds of merchants who accept bitcoins.

== Buying coins on Bitcoinmarket24.com via SEPA or wire transfer (EUR only) ==
Go to [https://bitcoinmarket24.com/ Bitcoinmarket24]

# If you want to use instant payment, enter the desired amount fo Bitcoins as well as your bitcoin address and klick on next (optionally enter your e-mailaddress)
# Enter your payment details on the following side (TÜV certified)
# You receive your Bitcoins within less than one minute (note: you still need to wait for the confirmations of the network)

# Alternatively click on "Switch to traditional SEPA bitcoin purchase"
# Enter amount of Bitcoins, bitcoin-address, name of bank account holder and your e-mailaddress
# Click on "Next"
# Check your data and click on "Next"
# You receive all data that you need to do the transfer
# After 1 day for German transfer and 1-3 days for European SEPA transfer you will be credited your Bitcoins

== Points to remember ==

* You don't need to be online to receive BTC.
* You can create as many new addresses as you like. Using a different address each time helps keep you [[Anonymity|anonymous]].
* You can be [[Anonymity|anonymous]] with adequate precautions.
* You cannot send BTC to an invalid address. Typos are not a worry as the payment will refuse to send.
* The [[Wallet|wallet]] file holds the keys that allow spending and thus the computer should be [[Securing_your_wallet|protected]] from the risk of loss and theft.
* Leaving Bitcoin open improves connectivity for the network and ensures that you don't fall behind on the block chain. Also see [[FAQ#Do_I_need_to_configure_my_firewall_to_run_bitcoin?|the FAQ about port forwarding]]

Proceed to the [[Introduction|introduction]]

== Technical ==
=== Block chain ===
The [[block chain]] is a never-ending story of every transaction throughout the network from day 1 (genesis). The first time you run Bitcoin, it is downloaded and verified on your computer. Every new transaction is added to the end of this chain and verified by the network to be valid.

=== Addresses ===
Whenever you send a coin, you are actually sending a cryptographically signed message, associating your coin with the recipient's address. This effectively transfers ownership to to the recipient. Once they own the coin, they are free to transfer it to another person.

A wallet is a collection of addresses. You can create as many new addresses as you wish; having more addresses makes you more anonymous, because then people cannot see how much BTC you received. Your wallet contains the secret keys used for spending that money, and must be [[Securing your wallet|backed-up regularly]]. If you lose the wallet then you no longer possess the money.

=== Generating ===
New coins are mined through generating hashes. These generators are rewarded with a small fee for the computationally intensive task of incorporating your transactions into the block-chain. This fee halves each time 210000 blocks are added to the block chain, or approximately every 4 years. The fee will keep halving until it effectively reaches zero, at which point 21 million coins will be in circulation.

[[Category:Introduction]]

[[de:Erste Schritte]]
[[zh-cn:入门]]

Myths

2012-01-06T13:49:46Z

Let's clear up some common Bitcoin misconceptions.

== Bitcoin is just like all other digital currencies; nothing new ==

Nearly all other digital currencies are centrally controlled. This means that:
* they can be printed at the subjective whims of the controllers
* they can be destroyed by attacking the central point of control
* arbitrary rules can be imposed upon their users by the controllers

Being decentralized, Bitcoin solves all of these problems.

== Bitcoins don't solve any problems that fiat currency and/or gold doesn't solve ==

Unlike gold, bitcoins are:
* easy to transfer
* easy to secure
* easy to verify
* easy to granulate

Unlike fiat currencies, bitcoins are:
* predictable and limited in [[Controlled_Currency_Supply|supply]]
* not controlled by a central authority (such as [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Federal_Reserve The Fed])

Unlike electronic fiat currency systems, bitcoins are:
* potentially anonymous
* freeze-proof
* faster to transfer
* cheaper to transfer

== Bitcoin is backed by processing power ==

It is not correct to say that Bitcoin is backed by processing power. A currency being "backed" by something means that it is pegged to something else via a central party at a certain exchange rate. You cannot exchange bitcoins for the computing power that was used to create them. Bitcoin is in this sense not backed by anything. It is a currency in its own right. Similar to gold - is gold backed by anything? No! It's just gold. The same applies with Bitcoin.

The Bitcoin currency is ''created'' via processing power, and the integrity of the block chain is ''protected'' by the existence of a large network of computing nodes from certain possible [[Weaknesses#Attacker_has_a_lot_of_computing_power|attacks]]. And that is all.

== Bitcoins are worthless because they aren't backed by anything ==

Gold isn't backed by anything either. Bitcoins have properties inherent to its design that are subjectively valued by individuals. This valuation is demonstrated when individuals freely exchange for or with bitcoins. Please refer to the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Subjective_theory_of_value Subjective Theory of Value].

See also: the "[[#Bitcoin_is_backed_by_processing_power|Bitcoin is backed by processing power]]" myth.

== The value of bitcoins are based on how much electricity and computing power it takes to mine them ==

This statement is an attempt to apply to Bitcoin the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Labor_theory_of_value labor theory of value], which is generally accepted as false. Just because something takes X resources to create does not mean that the resulting product will be worth X. It can be worth more, or less, depending on the utility thereof to its users.

In fact the causality is the reverse of that (this applies to the labor theory of value in general). The cost to mine Bitcoins is based on how much they are worth. If Bitcoins go up in value, more people will mine (because [[Mining|mining]] is profitable), thus [[difficulty]] will go up, thus the cost of mining will go up. The inverse happens if bitcoins go down in value. These effects balance out to cause mining to always cost the amount of bitcoins it produces.

== Bitcoins have no intrinsic value (unlike some other things) ==

It is true that bitcoins have no intrinsic value, in the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intrinsic_value_%28numismatics%29 numismatic sense], in other words, value in any realm outside of being used as a medium of exchange.

However, while some tangible commodities do have intrinsic value, that value is generally much less than its trading price. Consider for example that gold, if it were not used as an inflation-proof store of value, but rather only for its industrial uses, would certainly not be worth what it is today, since the industrial requirements for gold are far smaller than the available supply thereof.

While historically intrinsic value, as well as other attributes like divisibility, fungibility, scarcity, durability, helped establish certain commodities as mediums of exchange, it is certainly not a prerequisite. While bitcoins lack 'intrinsic value' in this sense, they make up for it in spades by possessing the other qualities necessary to make it a good medium of exchange, equal to or better than [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commodity_money commodity money].

Value is ultimately determined by what people are willing to trade for - by supply and demand.

== Bitcoins are illegal because they're not legal tender ==

Chickens aren't legal tender either, but bartering with chickens is not illegal.

There are a [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Local_currency number of currencies] in existence that are not official government-backed currencies. A currency is, after all, nothing more than a convenient unit of account. While national laws may vary from country to country, and you should certainly check the laws of your jurisdiction, in general trading in any commodity, including digital currency like Bitcoin, game currencies like WoW gold or Linden dollars, is not illegal.

== Bitcoin is a form of domestic terrorism because it only harms the economic stability of the USA and its currency ==

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Definitions_of_terrorism#United_States according to this, you need to do violent activities to be considered a terrorist for legal purposes. This has no bearing on politicians and idiotic US attorney's public remarks.

Also, Bitcoin isn't domestic. It's a worldwide community. See this map of Bitcoin nodes
http://forum.bitcoin.org/?topic=2346.0

== Bitcoin will only enable tax evaders which will lead to the eventual downfall of civilization ==

Cash transactions hold the same level of anonymity but are still taxed successfully. It is up to you to follow the applicable state laws in your home country, or face the consequences.

While it may be easy to transfer bitcoins anonymously, ''spending'' them anonymously on tangibles is just as hard as spending any other kind of money anonymously. Tax evaders are often caught because of suspicious purchases, or undeclared assets, not because government is able to follow their money.

== Bitcoins can be printed/minted by anyone and are therefore worthless ==

Bitcoins are not printed/minted. Instead, [[Blocks]] are computed by miners and for their efforts they are awarded a specific amount of bitcoins + transaction fees. See [[Blocks]] for more information on how this process works.

== Bitcoins are worthless because they're based on unproven cryptography ==

SHA256 and ECDSA which are used in Bitcoin are well-known industry standard algorithms. SHA256 is endorsed and used by the US Government so much there is a standard for it (FIPS180-3 Secure Hash Standard). If you believe that these algorithms are untrustworthy then you should not trust Bitcoin, credit card transactions or any type of electronic bank transfer. Bitcoin has a sound basis in well understood cryptography.

== Early adopters are unfairly rewarded ==

Early adopters are rewarded for taking the higher risk with their time and money. This argument is akin to saying that people who buy stock at a company IPO (Initial Public Offering) are unfairly rewarded. This argument also depends on bitcoin early adopters using bitcoins to store rather than transfer value. The daily trade on the exchanges (as of Jan 2012) indicates that smaller transactions are becoming the norm, indicating trade rather than investment.

In more pragmatic terms, "fairness" is an arbitrary concept that is improbable to be agreed upon by a large population. Establishing "fairness" is no goal of Bitcoin, as this would be impossible.

The vast majority of the 21 million Bitcoins still have not been distributed. By starting to mine or acquire bitcoins today, you too can become an early adopter.

== 21 million coins isn't enough; doesn't scale ==

One Bitcoin is divisible down to eight decimal places. There are really 2,099,999,997,690,000 (just over 2 quadrillion) maximum possible atomic units in the bitcoin design.

The value of "1 BTC" represents 100,000,000 of these. In other words, each is divisible by up to 10^8.

As the value of the unit of 1 BTC grows too large to be useful for day to day transactions, people can start dealing in smaller [[Units|units]], such as milli-bitcoins (mBTC) or micro-bitcoins (μBTC).

== Bitcoins are stored in wallet files, just copy the wallet file to get more coins! ==

No, your wallet contains your secret keys, giving you the rights to spend your bitcoins. Think of it like having bank details stored in a file. If you give your bank details (or bitcoin wallet) to someone else, that doesn't double the amount of money in your account. You can spend your money or they can spend your money, but not both.

== Lost coins can't be replaced and this is bad ==

Bitcoins are divisible to 0.00000001, so this is not a problem. If you lose your coins, all other coins will go up in value a little. Consider it a donation to all other bitcoin users.

A related question is: Why don't we have a mechanism to replace lost coins? The answer is that it is impossible to distinguish between a 'lost' coin and one that is simply sitting unused in someone's safe.

== It's a giant ponzi scheme ==
In a Ponzi Scheme, the founders persuade investors that they’ll profit. Bitcoin does not make such a guarantee. There is no central entity, just individuals building an economy.

A ponzi scheme is a zero sum game. Early adopters can only profit at the expense of late adopters. Bitcoin has possible win-win outcomes. Early adopters profit from the rise in value. Late adopters profit from the usefulness of a stable and widely accepted p2p currency.

== Finite coins plus lost coins means deflationary spiral ==
As deflationary forces may apply, economic factors such as hoarding are offset by human factors that may lessen the chances that a [[Deflationary spiral]] will occur.

== Bitcoin can't work because there is no way to control inflation ==

Inflation is simply a rise of prices over time, which is generally the result of the devaluing of a currency. This is a function of supply and demand. Given the fact that the supply of bitcoins is fixed at a certain amount, unlike fiat money, the only way for inflation to get out of control is for demand to disappear. Temporary inflation is possible with a rapid adoption of Fractional Reserve Banking but will stabilize once a substantial number of the 21 million "hard" bitcoins are stored as reserves by banks.

Given the fact that Bitcoin is a distributed system of currency, if demand were to decrease to almost nothing, the currency would be doomed anyway.

The key point here is that Bitcoin as a currency can't be inflated by any single person or entity, like a government, as there's no way to increase supply past a certain amount.

Indeed, the most likely scenario, as Bitcoin becomes more popular and demand increases, is for the currency to increase in value, or deflate, until demand stabilizes.

== The Bitcoin community consists of anarchist/conspiracy theorist/gold standard 'weenies' ==

The members of the community vary in their ideological stances.

== Anyone with enough computing power can take over the network ==

CONFIRMED, see [[Weaknesses]].

That said, as the network grows, it becomes harder and harder for a single entity to do so. Already the Bitcoin network's computing power is quite ahead of the world's fastest supercomputers, together.

What an attacker can do once the network is taken over is quite limited. Under no circumstances could an attacker take anybody else's money. An attacker's capabilities are limited to taking back their own money that they very recently spent, and preventing other people's transactions from receiving confirmations. Such an attack would be very costly in resources, and for such meager benefits there is little rational economic incentive to do such a thing.

Furthermore, this attack scenario would only be feasible for as long as it was actively underway. As soon as the attack stopped, the network would resume normal operation.

== Bitcoin violates governmental regulations ==

There is no known governamental regulation which disallows the use of Bitcoin.

See also: the "[[#Bitcoins_are_illegal_because_they.27re_not_legal_tender|Bitcoins are illegal because they're not legal tender]]" myth.

== Fractional reserve banking is not possible ==

Please see the main article, [[Fractional Reserve Banking and Bitcoin]]

== Point of sale with bitcoins isn't possible because of the 10 minute wait for confirmation ==

Transactions [[FAQ#Why_do_I_have_to_wait_10_minutes_before_I_can_spend_money_I_received.3F|can]] take tens of minutes to become ''confirmed'', and this won't change for the foreseeable future. Even after the computing power of the network is orders of magnitude larger than today, the difficulty of generating a block will self-adjust to maintain a target of 6 blocks per hour. Three potential solutions to allow POS transactions are:

'''1.''' For small transactions, simply assume the customer isn't ripping you off. Give the customer his latte immediately after the transaction posts to the network. The transaction should propagate through the network almost instantly, allowing the seller to see the transaction within seconds (albeit with zero confirmations.) The cost of a double-spend attack should make small-scale fraud not worthwhile.

'''2.''' Utilize a [https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=423.msg3819#msg3819 'listening' period] prior to rendering the service or good. This has yet to be formally implemented in the standard Bitcoin client, but would allow a vendor to receive the transaction and then monitor the Bitcoin network for a certain period of time (maybe 10 seconds) for possible double spends. Vendors might utilize specialized payment processors with multiple well-connected nodes for this purpose. As explained by Satoshi, the network nodes only accept the first version of a transaction they receive to incorporate into the block they're trying to generate. When you broadcast a transaction, if someone else broadcasts a double-spend at the same time, it is a race to propagate them to the most nodes first. If one has a slight head start, it will geometrically spread through the network and get many times more nodes. Additionally, a payment "processing" company could blast out the transaction to thousands of nodes instantly and listen for double spend attempts. The probability of the attacker thwarting such a system would be so low that a payment processor could ''guarantee'' payments and eat the cost if a double-spend attempt actually succeeds. If a double-spend attempt is detected, the vendor is notified: no latte, and a call to the police should be put in immediately.

'''3.''' Create a network of transaction hubs. These entities would communicate using a common API. They would float short-term loans between each other to facilitate instant transactions.

Imagine that Alice uses Carol's Clearinghouse as her hub, and Bob uses Dave's Anonymous Exchange. Both Alice and Bob have accounts with their respective hubs, and have already deposited some bitcoins in their accounts. When Alice wants to buy a latte from Bob at a point of sale, Alice tells Carol "I want to send Bob ''x'' bitcoins. He uses Dave's Anonymous Exchange." After checking that Alice's account does contain at least ''x'' bitcoins, Carol sends a message to Dave, saying "Credit Bob's account with ''x'' bitcoins immediately; I'll send you the real bitcoins in the next block." Bob instantly sees his balance increase, and gives Alice her latte.

Optionally, option 3 allows all parties to circumvent use of the block-chain and its associated fees altogether. If Alice and Bob have accounts with Carol and Dave, then Carol and Dave are effectively functioning as banks. Carol and Dave can credit and debit millions of accounts millions of times daily and only "re-balance" money owed at the end of each business day through a single transaction in the Bitcoin block-chain.

Option 3 requires trust. Alice has to trust Carol's Clearinghouse, and the hubs have to trust each other. Due to competition, various hubs could develop with vastly different fee structures, membership requirements, trustability, etc. The advantage of option 3 is that it is instant. The disadvantage of option 3 is that trust is required. If trust is not established, option 2 can be used.

== After 21 million coins are mined, no one will generate new blocks ==

When operating costs can't be covered by the block creation bounty, which will happen some time before the total amount of BTC is reached, miners will earn some profit from [[transaction fees]]. However unlike the block reward, there is [http://bitcoin.stackexchange.com/questions/876/how-much-will-transaction-fees-eventually-be/895#895 no coupling between transaction fees and the need for security], so there is less of a guarantee that the amount of [[Mining|mining]] being performed will be sufficient to maintain the network's security.

== Bitcoin has no built-in chargeback mechanism, and this isn't good ==

'''Why some people think this is bad''': Chargebacks are useful for limiting fraud. The person handling your money has a responsibility to prevent fraud. If you buy something on eBay and the seller never ships it, PayPal takes funds from the seller's account and gives you back the money. This strengthens the eBay economy, because people recognize that their risk is limited and are more willing to purchase items from risky sellers.

'''Why it's actually a good thing''': Bitcoin is designed such that your money is yours and yours alone. Allowing chargebacks implies that it is possible for another entity to take your money from you. You can have either total ownership rights of your money, or fraud protection, but not both. That said, nothing prevents the creation of services overlayed on top of Bitcoin that provide fraud protection services.

The statement "The person handling your money has a responsibility to prevent fraud" is still true; the power has been shifted into your own hands. Fraud will always exist. It's up to you to only send bitcoins to trusted entities. It is possible to trust an online identity without ever knowing their physical identity; see the [http://wiki.bitcoin-otc.com/wiki/OTC_Rating_System OTC Web of Trust].

== Quantum computers would break Bitcoin's security ==

Yes, but quantum computers don't yet exist and probably won't for a while. Bitcoin's security can be [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Post-quantum_cryptography upgraded] if this were considered an imminent threat.

See the implications of quantum computers on public key cryptography here http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quantum_computer#Potential

The ''risk'' of quantum computers is also there for financial institutions, like banks, because they heavily rely on cryptography when doing transactions.

== [[Mining|Bitcoin mining]] is a waste of energy and harmful for ecology ==

No more so than the wastefulness of mining gold out of the ground, melting it down and shaping it into bars, and then putting it back underground again. Not to mention the building of big fancy buildings, the waste of energy printing and minting all the various fiat currencies, the transportation thereof in armored cars by no less than two security guards for each who could probably be doing something more productive, etc.

As far as mediums of exchange go, Bitcoin is actually quite economical of resources, compared to others.

'''Economic Argument 1'''

[[Mining|Bitcoin mining]] is a highly competitive, dynamic, almost [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Perfect_market perfect], market. Mining rigs can be set up and dismantled almost anywhere in the world with relative ease. Thus, market forces are constantly pushing mining activity to ''places'' and ''times'' where the marginal price of electricity is low or zero. These electricity products are cheap for a reason. Often it’s because the electricity is difficult (and wasteful) to transport, difficult to store, or because there is low demand and high supply. Using electricity in this way is a lot less wasteful than simply plugging a mining rig into the mains indiscriminately.

For example, Iceland produces an excess of cheap electricity from renewable sources, but it has no way of exporting electricity because of its remote location. It is conceivable that at some point in future Bitcoin mining will only be profitable in places like Iceland, and unprofitable in places like central Europe, where electricity comes mostly from nuclear and fossil sources.

Market forces could even push mining into innovative solutions that have a ''net'' electricity consumption of ''zero''. For example, electric heaters could come equipped with a cheap CPU instead of a resistance coil.

'''Economic Argument 2'''

When the environmental costs of mining are considered, they need to be weighed up against the benefits. If you question Bitcoin on the grounds that it consumes electricity, then you should also ask questions like this: Will Bitcoin promote economic growth by freeing up trade? Will this speed up the rate of technological innovation? Will this lead to faster development of green technologies? Will Bitcoin enable new, border crossing [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smart_grid smart grid] technologies? …

Dismissal of Bitcoin because of its costs, while ignoring is benefits, is a dishonest argument. In fact, any environmental argument of this type is dishonest, not just pertaining to Bitcoin. Along similar lines, it could be argued that wind turbines are bad for the environment because making the steel structure consumes energy.

== Shopkeepers can't seriously set prices in bitcoins because of the volatile exchange rate ==

Your assumption is that bitcoins must be sold immediately to cover operating expenses. If the shopkeeper's back-end expenses were transacted in bitcoins as well, then the exchange rate would be irrelevant. Larger adoption of Bitcoin would make prices [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sticky_%28economics%29 sticky]. Future volatility is expected to decrease, as the size and depth of the market grows.

In the meantime, many merchants simply regularly pull the latest market rates from the exchanges and automatically update the prices on their websites. Also you might be able to buy a put option in order to sell at a fixed rate for a given amount of time. This would protect you from drops in price and simplify your operations for that time period.

== Like Flooz and e-gold, bitcoins serve as opportunities for criminals and will be shut down ==

* Hopefully Bitcoin will grow to the point where no single organization can disrupt the network, or would be better served by helping it.
* Terrorists fly aircraft into buildings, but the governments have not yet abolished consumer air travel. Obviously the public good outweighs the possible bad in their opinion.
* Criminal law differs between jurisdictions.

== Bitcoins will be shut down by the government just like Liberty Dollars were ==

Liberty Dollars started as a commercial venture to establish an alternative US currency, including physical banknotes and coins, backed by precious metals. This, in and of itself, is not illegal. They were prosecuted under counterfeiting laws because the silver coins allegedly resembled US currency.

Bitcoins are not coins at all, nor are they banknotes. They do not resemble US currency in any way, shape, or form. The word "dollar" is not attached to them in any way. The "$" symbol is not used in any way.

Bitcoins have no representational similarity whatsoever to US dollars.

Of course, actually 'shutting down' Liberty Dollars was as easy as arresting the head of the company and seizing the offices. The decentralized Bitcoin, with no leader, no servers, and no office, does not have the same vulnerability.

== Bitcoin is not decentralized because the developers can dictate the software's behaviour ==

The Bitcoin protocol was originally defined by Bitcoin's inventor, [[Satoshi Nakamoto]], and this protocol has now been widely accepted as the standard by the community of miners and users.

Though the developers of the original Bitcoin client still exert influence over the Bitcoin community, their power to arbitrarily modify the protocol is very limited. Since the release of Bitcoin v0.3, changes to the protocol have been minor and always in agreement with community consensus.

Protocol modifications, such as increasing the block award from 50 to 100 BTC, are not compatible with clients already running in the network. If the developers were to release a new client that the majority of miners perceives as corrupt, or in violation of the project’s aims, that client would simply not catch on, and the few users who do try to use it would find that their transactions get rejected by the network.

There are also other Bitcoin clients made by other groups of developers that adhere to the Bitcoin protocol. As more developers create alternative clients, less power will lie with the developers of the original Bitcoin client.

[[de:Mythen]]

WxBitcoin

2012-01-06T13:43:39Z

'''WxBitcoin''' is a now deprecated version of the [[Bitcoind|original Bitcoin client]], which relied on the wxWidgets GUI library.

WxBitcoin

2012-01-06T13:38:30Z

'''WxBitcoin''' is a now deprecated version of the [[Bitcoind|original Bitcoin client]] which relied on the wxWidgets GUI library.

WxBitcoin

2012-01-06T13:38:11Z

'''WxBitcoin''' is a now deprecated version of the [[Bitcoind|Original Bitcoin client]] which relied on the wxWidgets GUI library.

Helping Bitcoin

2012-01-06T12:56:09Z

X: dead link

{{Template:Stub}}

The question is: how does one 'help' Bitcoin if it is an online currency that is not managed by any one individual? Often, those who take an interest in Bitcoin are at a loss as to how they can provide their support for this community. This article aims to offer some direction.

==Join the ''Bitcoin Community''==

Find a community that you would naturally be a part of that accepts and supports Bitcoin, be it your workplace, schools, neighborhood, or online. The Bitcoin community is made up simply of the many supporters of the currency from all over the world. Spread the word—inform others wherever and whenever you can.

==Be Creative==

Everyone possesses their own unique talents and abilities; these qualities are what make us the people we are and bring us together. Utilize your skills and creativity to assist.

* '''Hack''' the Bitcoin source. This may prove useful to those familiar with coding.

* '''Mine'''. If you're into high-efficiency computing, creating a strong miner will definitely get you going.

* If you own a business, '''accept Bitcoin for your services'''. You may also wish to encourage other businesses to follow in your footsteps.

* '''Speculate''' in Bitcoin. This improves its liquidity and helps every other person using Bitcoin to carry out real transactions.

Every task and part that people take on adds stability and flexibility to the Bitcoin economy.

==Third: Be Wise==

Everyone has limited resources, and not all people think in the same way that you do. Trust no one, research, and expect the unexpected.

File:BcOSX.png

2012-01-06T12:47:36Z

X: uploaded a new version of "File:BcOSX.png": Trimmed

== Summary ==
The contents of the Bitcoin zip on OS X
== Licensing ==
{{self|Cc-zero}}

Help:Installing Bitcoin Core

2012-01-06T12:45:55Z

An account can effortlessly be created using an [[eWallet]] service. eWallet services provide an online wallet to hold your bitcoins.

This guide covers installing Bitcoin without needing a third party wallet service.

== For Windows computers ==

=== Installation ===
[http://sourceforge.net/projects/bitcoin/files/latest/download Download] and install Bitcoin.

[[File:Install fin.png|frame|none|Complete installation wizard]]

=== Initialization ===

The first time you run Bitcoin, it needs to download all the blocks to setup. You already have your bitcoin address at this point, but you won't see any transactions before the initialisation is complete (it can take from half to a few hours).

[[File:First time run fin.png|frame|none|Bitcoin is initialising by establishing a connection to other clients and downloading the blocks.]]

[[File:Bitcoin all blocks fin.png|frame|none|Completed download of block-chain.]]

Your address (you can have as many as you want) is at the top. Below is your balance which will be zero. The list below shows your transactions.

== For Mac computers ==

Download the [http://sourceforge.net/projects/bitcoin/files/latest/download OS X version] of Bitcoin and expand the disk image.

[[File:BcOSX.png|frame|none|Contents of the Bitcoin disk image after expansion]]

Drag the Bitcoin icon to the desired install location, and double-click the icon to run the application. The Bitcoin window will open and connections will start up in minutes. The blocks will begin downloading. Your address and balance are at the top of the window. Click "Copy to clipboard" to copy your address. Transactions are displayed in the main window.

[[File:BcOSXrunning.png|frame|none|Main window]]
[[File:BcOSXPreferences.png|frame|none|Preferences window on OS X]]

== Getting my first coins ==

The [[Bitcoin Faucet]] [https://freebitcoins.appspot.com/ website] currently hands out 0.001 BTC to new bitcoin users. Fill in the form with your bitcoin address. [http://www.wesmeredith.com/bitbybit/ Bit by Bit] is another website which provides.001 BTC for free and can be used daily. It also offers weekly lottery drawings for beginners. When you wish to add more, view [[Buying bitcoins]].

[[File:Get some btc.png|frame|none|Getting free coins from the Faucet]]

A new entry should appear in Bitcoin. The network hasn't yet confirmed it, but you know it's being processed. After about one hour it should get 6 confirmations. You are able to spend the coins when there is only one confirmation.

The confirmation counter (like the block counter) will increase by one roughly every 10 minutes. Six confirmations are considered as 100% sure a transfer has been processed.

[[File:First btc recv.png|frame|none]]

[[File:Six confirms bitcoin client.png|frame|none]]

* The [[Trade]] article shows hundreds of merchants who accept bitcoins.

== Buying coins on Bitcoinmarket24.com via SEPA or wire transfer (EUR only) ==
Go to [https://bitcoinmarket24.com/ Bitcoinmarket24]

# If you want to use instant payment, enter the desired amount fo Bitcoins as well as your bitcoin address and klick on next (optionally enter your e-mailaddress)
# Enter your payment details on the following side (TÜV certified)
# You receive your Bitcoins within less than one minute (note: you still need to wait for the confirmations of the network)

# Alternatively click on "Switch to traditional SEPA bitcoin purchase"
# Enter amount of Bitcoins, bitcoin-address, name of bank account holder and your e-mailaddress
# Click on "Next"
# Check your data and click on "Next"
# You receive all data that you need to do the transfer
# After 1 day for German transfer and 1-3 days for European SEPA transfer you will be credited your Bitcoins

== Points to remember ==

* You don't need to be online to receive BTC.
* You can create as many new addresses as you like. Using a different address each time helps keep you [[Anonymity|anonymous]].
* You can be [[Anonymity|anonymous]] with adequate precautions.
* You cannot send BTC to an invalid address. Typos are not a worry as the payment will refuse to send.
* The [[Wallet|wallet]] file holds the keys that allow spending and thus the computer should be [[Securing_your_wallet|protected]] from the risk of loss and theft.
* Leaving Bitcoin open improves connectivity for the network and ensures that you don't fall behind on the block chain. Also see [[FAQ#Do_I_need_to_configure_my_firewall_to_run_bitcoin?|the FAQ about port forwarding]]

Proceed to the [[Introduction|introduction]]

== Technical ==
=== Block chain ===
The [[block chain]] is a never-ending story of every transaction throughout the network from day 1 (genesis). The first time you run Bitcoin, it is downloaded and verified on your computer. Every new transaction is added to the end of this chain and verified by the network to be valid.

=== Addresses ===
Whenever you send a coin, you are actually sending a cryptographically signed message, associating your coin with the recipient's address. This effectively transfers ownership to to the recipient. Once they own the coin, they are free to transfer it to another person.

A wallet is a collection of addresses. You can create as many new addresses as you wish; having more addresses makes you more anonymous, because then people cannot see how much BTC you received. Your wallet contains the secret keys used for spending that money, and must be [[Securing your wallet|backed-up regularly]]. If you lose the wallet then you no longer possess the money.

=== Generating ===
New coins are mined through generating hashes. These generators are rewarded with a small fee for the computationally intensive task of incorporating your transactions into the block-chain. This fee halves each time 210000 blocks are added to the block chain, or approximately every 4 years. The fee will keep halving until it effectively reaches zero, at which point 21 million coins will be in circulation.

[[Category:Introduction]]

[[de:Erste Schritte]]
[[zh-cn:入门]]

File:BcOSX.png

2012-01-06T12:42:07Z

X: uploaded a new version of "File:BcOSX.png": 0.5.1

== Summary ==
The contents of the Bitcoin zip on OS X
== Licensing ==
{{self|Cc-zero}}

File:BcOSXrunning.png

2012-01-06T12:40:53Z

X: uploaded a new version of "File:BcOSXrunning.png": 0.5.1

== Summary ==
Screenshot of BC running on OS X
== Licensing ==
{{self|Cc-zero}}

File:BcOSXPreferences.png

2012-01-06T12:38:36Z

X: uploaded a new version of "File:BcOSXPreferences.png": 0.5.1

== Summary ==
Preferences Window for BC on OS X
== Licensing ==
{{self|Cc-zero}}

Help:Installing Bitcoin Core

2012-01-06T12:36:35Z

X: Updated link

An account can effortlessly be created using an [[eWallet]] service. eWallet services provide an online wallet to hold your bitcoins.

This guide covers installing Bitcoin without needing a third party wallet service.

== For Windows computers ==

=== Installation ===
[http://sourceforge.net/projects/bitcoin/files/latest/download Download] and install Bitcoin.

[[File:Install fin.png|frame|none|Complete installation wizard]]

=== Initialization ===

The first time you run Bitcoin, it needs to download all the blocks to setup. You already have your bitcoin address at this point, but you won't see any transactions before the initialisation is complete (it can take from half to a few hours).

[[File:First time run fin.png|frame|none|Bitcoin is initialising by establishing a connection to other clients and downloading the blocks.]]

[[File:Bitcoin all blocks fin.png|frame|none|Completed download of block-chain.]]

Your address (you can have as many as you want) is at the top. Below is your balance which will be zero. The list below shows your transactions.

== For Mac computers ==

Download the [http://sourceforge.net/projects/bitcoin/files/latest/download OS X version] of Bitcoin and expand the archive.

[[File:BcOSX.png|thumb|none|Contents of the Bitcoin archive after expansion]]

Drag the Bitcoin icon to the desired install location, and double-click or Cmd-O (⌘O) to run the application. The Bitcoin window will open and connections will start up in minutes. The blocks will begin downloading. Your address and balance are at the top of the window. Click "Copy to Clipboard" to copy your address. Transactions are displayed in the main window.

[[File:BcOSXrunning.png|thumb|none|Main window]]

As Bitcoin currently does not support hiding with Cmd-H (⌘H), it is recommended that users tick the "Minimize on close" option in the Preferences menu to prevent accidental program exits.

[[File:BcOSXPreferences.png|thumb|none|Preferences window on OS X]]

== Getting my first coins ==

The [[Bitcoin Faucet]] [https://freebitcoins.appspot.com/ website] currently hands out 0.001 BTC to new bitcoin users. Fill in the form with your bitcoin address. [http://www.wesmeredith.com/bitbybit/ Bit by Bit] is another website which provides.001 BTC for free and can be used daily. It also offers weekly lottery drawings for beginners. When you wish to add more, view [[Buying bitcoins]].

[[File:Get some btc.png|frame|none|Getting free coins from the Faucet]]

A new entry should appear in Bitcoin. The network hasn't yet confirmed it, but you know it's being processed. After about one hour it should get 6 confirmations. You are able to spend the coins when there is only one confirmation.

The confirmation counter (like the block counter) will increase by one roughly every 10 minutes. Six confirmations are considered as 100% sure a transfer has been processed.

[[File:First btc recv.png|frame|none]]

[[File:Six confirms bitcoin client.png|frame|none]]

* The [[Trade]] article shows hundreds of merchants who accept bitcoins.

== Buying coins on Bitcoinmarket24.com via SEPA or wire transfer (EUR only) ==
Go to [https://bitcoinmarket24.com/ Bitcoinmarket24]

# If you want to use instant payment, enter the desired amount fo Bitcoins as well as your bitcoin address and klick on next (optionally enter your e-mailaddress)
# Enter your payment details on the following side (TÜV certified)
# You receive your Bitcoins within less than one minute (note: you still need to wait for the confirmations of the network)

# Alternatively click on "Switch to traditional SEPA bitcoin purchase"
# Enter amount of Bitcoins, bitcoin-address, name of bank account holder and your e-mailaddress
# Click on "Next"
# Check your data and click on "Next"
# You receive all data that you need to do the transfer
# After 1 day for German transfer and 1-3 days for European SEPA transfer you will be credited your Bitcoins

== Points to remember ==

* You don't need to be online to receive BTC.
* You can create as many new addresses as you like. Using a different address each time helps keep you [[Anonymity|anonymous]].
* You can be [[Anonymity|anonymous]] with adequate precautions.
* You cannot send BTC to an invalid address. Typos are not a worry as the payment will refuse to send.
* The [[Wallet|wallet]] file holds the keys that allow spending and thus the computer should be [[Securing_your_wallet|protected]] from the risk of loss and theft.
* Leaving Bitcoin open improves connectivity for the network and ensures that you don't fall behind on the block chain. Also see [[FAQ#Do_I_need_to_configure_my_firewall_to_run_bitcoin?|the FAQ about port forwarding]]

Proceed to the [[Introduction|introduction]]

== Technical ==
=== Block chain ===
The [[block chain]] is a never-ending story of every transaction throughout the network from day 1 (genesis). The first time you run Bitcoin, it is downloaded and verified on your computer. Every new transaction is added to the end of this chain and verified by the network to be valid.

=== Addresses ===
Whenever you send a coin, you are actually sending a cryptographically signed message, associating your coin with the recipient's address. This effectively transfers ownership to to the recipient. Once they own the coin, they are free to transfer it to another person.

A wallet is a collection of addresses. You can create as many new addresses as you wish; having more addresses makes you more anonymous, because then people cannot see how much BTC you received. Your wallet contains the secret keys used for spending that money, and must be [[Securing your wallet|backed-up regularly]]. If you lose the wallet then you no longer possess the money.

=== Generating ===
New coins are mined through generating hashes. These generators are rewarded with a small fee for the computationally intensive task of incorporating your transactions into the block-chain. This fee halves each time 210000 blocks are added to the block chain, or approximately every 4 years. The fee will keep halving until it effectively reaches zero, at which point 21 million coins will be in circulation.

[[Category:Introduction]]

[[de:Erste Schritte]]
[[zh-cn:入门]]

User:X

2012-01-06T12:33:46Z

X: Created page with "Contributors Award participant: 1ArwTMetbHBwTEyrkSHJvj7Ehbdu16RDCM"

Contributors Award participant: 1ArwTMetbHBwTEyrkSHJvj7Ehbdu16RDCM