Proof

Below are the Bitcoin addresses that the author of bithome controls. Each address has on-chain history dating to late 2013 or early 2014. Beneath each address is a message signed by that address's private key. Anyone with a Bitcoin wallet that supports message verification can confirm the signatures independently.

Together, these signatures establish that the writer of bithome held bitcoin during the early years and still controls the same keys. The signatures cannot be forged without the underlying private keys.

How to verify

Any Bitcoin wallet that supports message verification can confirm these signatures. Two common paths:

Electrum (GUI)

1. Download Electrum
2. Open Electrum and choose Tools → Sign / verify message
3. Paste the address, message, and signature into the corresponding fields
4. Click Verify. A valid signature will report success

Command line (Node.js)

Using the bitcoinjs-message library:

npm install bitcoinjs-message
node -e "console.log(require('bitcoinjs-message').verify(MESSAGE, ADDRESS, SIGNATURE))"

Replace MESSAGE, ADDRESS, and SIGNATURE with the values from any block above. The output is true for a valid signature.

Key rotation

If the primary signing key (A) is ever lost, compromised, or signed under coercion, the author will publish a rotation announcement signed by backup B or C. Until such an announcement appears on this page, all signatures from A are considered authoritative.

If a "burn notice" signed by C ever appears here, all prior signatures from A are repudiated and only signatures from C should be trusted thereafter.

Backups B and C exist precisely so that a single point of failure in A does not collapse the entire chain of authority.

What this signs

Each future flagship article will carry its own signature in the format:

bithome.com | <article-slug> | <publish-date> | <article-content-hash>

signed by A. The signatures above are key-control proofs; the article-attached signatures are content proofs. An interactive in-browser verifier is on the roadmap.