Author: Peter Todd 2023-02-22 16:29:03
Published on: 2023-02-22T16:29:03+00:00
A new approach to the existing use-case of verifying individual shares without using a computer has been suggested in a bitcoin-dev discussion. The current procedure involves verifying the checksum of each share independently, which can be done even if the share is stored away from the user's primary location. This method has been suggested as a big selling point for the process. However, a simpler approach has been proposed that entails using a simple mod N = 0 checksum. This can be done by creating the seed such that each share passes or by storing an additional word/symbol with the seed in such a way that sum(words) mod N = 0 passes. This would make the verification process easier to perform manually with pen and paper or a calculator. It may also be feasible to generate Shamir's secret sharing shards with small checksums so that every shard could share the same checksum. In this case, every shareholder would verify the checksum manually using the mod N procedure and then confirm that each shareholder has the same checksum. Although small checksums aren't foolproof, a relatively easy procedure with a 1-in-1000 chance of an error going undetected would be better than a complex procedure that people do not follow.
Updated on: 2023-06-16T15:49:44.624600+00:00