Published on: 2019-12-10T02:11:10+00:00
JW Weatherman has proposed a feature for Bitcoin that aims to solve issues related to private keys. Currently, mistakes can be made when reading or writing private keys, and errors are only identified once the entire key is entered. This lack of error indication and the potential loss of private keys stored on paper due to the loss of a single character pose significant problems.To address these issues, JW Weatherman suggests using the NATO phonetic alphabet to display or enter private keys. In this system, lower case letters are indicated by not capitalizing the word, while capital letters and numbers should be capitalized. The use of the internationally recognized NATO phonetic alphabet ensures that each letter is easily distinguishable when spoken and written, reducing the likelihood of errors during recovery.The proposal also includes the insertion of checksum letters into the private key. Specifically, every 5th word in the key would serve as a checksum for the previous 4 words. For example, a sentence like "ALFA tango THREE SIX bravo" would have "bravo" as the checksum for the preceding 4 words. This checksum can be calculated and verified as the private key is entered. If an error is made, the checksum would immediately indicate it within the 5-word segment. Moreover, even if an entire word is lost across multiple lines, the checksum would make it relatively easy to guess the correct words.During a live demonstration, JW Weatherman showcased the use of the NATO alphabet and checksums every 4 words. This approach removes the stress of attempting to write unambiguous characters and makes typing with autocomplete easier, particularly when the word dictionary is not involved.The proposal seeks adoption by Bitcoin Core as it utilizes existing private keys without impacting key generation. Furthermore, it does not require a standardized and well-known word list for every language. Essentially, this proposal serves as a display format that ideally would not necessitate invasive code changes.
Updated on: 2023-08-02T01:28:16.279158+00:00