Re: [Taler] Wallet security

[Christian Grothoff]

[Again, these discussions belong on the mailinglist...]

Hi Nils,

Technically, threshold signatures are nothing terribly new, and you are
right that we could probably implement them for Taler.

However, I don't see them being useful for Taler: They reduce usability
WAY too much.  Also, unlike BitCoin, a Taler user can decide to only
hold a fraction of his cash in Taler -- and leave the rest at the bank.
So the risk of a compromise is much smaller to begin with.  With
bitcoin, everything is in your digital wallet(s), so the need to protect
it is higher.

So for Bitcoin -- a speculative currency for *investing* -- this makes
sense. Taler is a payment system where the currency you hold is expected
to be spend (there is no point in keeping the digital coins around for
speculation), so I think it makes much less sense.

My 2 cents

Christian

On 03/09/2015 11:23 PM, Nils Durner wrote:
> Hi Christian,
> 
> vllt. für Taler von Interesse:
> "threshold signatures to increase Bitcoin wallet security. For individuals,
> threshold signatures allow for two-factor security, or the ability to split
> signing control between two devices so that a single compromised device
> won’t put your money at risk. "
> 
> https://freedom-to-tinker.com/blog/stevenag/threshold-signatures-for-bitcoin-wallets-are-finally-here/?utm_content=buffer64dc4&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_campaign=buffer
> 
> 
> Grüße,
> 
> Nils
>