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The text in the hex data seen in the article (part of the Bitcoin genesis block) was the headline of The Times to prove the block wasn't generated prior to the

The text in the hex data seen in the article (part of the Bitcoin genesis block) was the headline of The Times to prove the block wasn't generated prior to the newspaper's date. Bitmex (one of the largest exchanges at the moment) put an ad on the frontpage of the newspaper's issue exactly 10 years later as a tribute: https://twitter.com/BitMEXResearch/status/1080590401323450368 https://twitter.com/BitMEXResearch/status/108059040132345036... EDIT: It seems there is a full page ad that goes with the front page one: https://imgur.com/sVBZVfN https://imgur.com/sVBZVfN

HashBasher 8y ago
How can a newspaper prove that the block wasn't generated prior to the publish date? If I were to hash the headlines from a 1969 "ON THE MOON!" article, would it prove that my block is older that the bitcoin's genesis block?
- pjc50 8y ago
  Other way round. It would prove your block wasn't generated in 1968.
- rtkwe 8y ago
  Including it only proves that it was not generated before a certain date. It can't prove that it was generated before something also generated after the headline in question. You have to predict exactly what the headline is going to be though "On the Moon" is a fair guess but the chances you would get "Men walk on the moon" (plus "astronauts land on plain; collect rocks, plant flag" if we're using the subheadline too) exactly correct to fake it are really low. That's only possible on a very small number of dates where there's a known huge event coming up.
- askmike 8y ago
  > If I were to hash the headlines from a 1969 "ON THE MOON!" article, would it prove that my block is older that the bitcoin's genesis block? That would only prove your block is NOT from before 1969. The date of the article in question is 03/Jan/2009. Which is around the time of the block itself (thus proving the block wasn't generated before 2009).
klipt 8y ago
> to prove the block wasn't generated prior to the newspaper's date. The newspaper could go back and change the title in their archives. Single point of failure. Tsk tsk. Should have picked a newspaper that stores their archives in an immutable blockchain.

HashBasher 8y ago

How can a newspaper prove that the block wasn't generated prior to the publish date? If I were to hash the headlines from a 1969 "ON THE MOON!" article, would it prove that my block is older that the bitcoin's genesis block?

pjc50 8y ago
Other way round. It would prove your block wasn't generated in 1968.
rtkwe 8y ago
Including it only proves that it was not generated before a certain date. It can't prove that it was generated before something also generated after the headline in question. You have to predict exactly what the headline is going to be though "On the Moon" is a fair guess but the chances you would get "Men walk on the moon" (plus "astronauts land on plain; collect rocks, plant flag" if we're using the subheadline too) exactly correct to fake it are really low. That's only possible on a very small number of dates where there's a known huge event coming up.
askmike 8y ago
> If I were to hash the headlines from a 1969 "ON THE MOON!" article, would it prove that my block is older that the bitcoin's genesis block? That would only prove your block is NOT from before 1969. The date of the article in question is 03/Jan/2009. Which is around the time of the block itself (thus proving the block wasn't generated before 2009).

klipt 8y ago

> to prove the block wasn't generated prior to the newspaper's date. The newspaper could go back and change the title in their archives. Single point of failure. Tsk tsk. Should have picked a newspaper that stores their archives in an immutable blockchain.