Author: BitPLATES (Chris) 2021-05-10 06:30:22
Published on: 2021-05-10T06:30:22+00:00
The message sent by Chris Johnston to the bitcoin-dev mailing list proposes an optional method of producing a BIP39 passphrase using only BIP39 'mnemonic' seed words. This provides an exponential increase in the level of protection as offered by the original BIP39 mnemonic seed words, resulting in approximately 2048^23 possible combinations. The proposal suggests using a separate wallet with 24 seed words to introduce two-factor authentication and protect a Bitcoin wallet without the use of any additional hardware or software.The ‘quantum’ passphrase is created from the 24 seed words of a separate wallet and can be used to add an extra layer of security to a Bitcoin wallet. If any of the layers are exposed, this extreme level of protection makes it impossible to brute-force the wallet without the 'quantum' passphrase. The passphrase consists of up to 96 characters and can be easily created from a genuine 24 seed word mnemonic, thereby providing plausible deniability in case of coercion.Moreover, the use of BIP39-only words provides a higher degree of standardization and avoids potential mistakes made by creating unnecessarily complicated combinations of letters, numbers, and symbols. Following just four non-destructive BIP39-compatible rules, the 24 seed words can also function as a quantum passphrase: only BIP39 words, only the first four letters of each word, only upper case letters, and no spaces between words.The proposed 'quantum' passphrase discourages user-created words or sentences and encourages physical backup of the passphrase. The intention is to promote productive technical discussion on the topic. The message concludes with links to the bitcoin-dev mailing list and a subscription page for those interested in joining the discussion.
Updated on: 2023-06-14T21:48:28.430072+00:00