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Assume you're Satoshi Nakamoto, completely, and that you've forgotten your private key/s. How do you prove that this is true, using the BTC blockchain? Is there a transaction you can make, or a message you can sign? Remember, you don't remember your private keys.
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...you've forgotten your private key/s. How do you prove that this is true
You cannot prove that you have forgotten something. How would you prove you don't have a secret backup hidden away?
Is there a transaction you can make, or a message you can sign?
No, making transactions and signing messages are both actions that require the use of your private key to complete.
So I can only be Satoshi in the future once I find my private keys? I just genuinely don't know where they are, or how I made them. – Rob – 2019-02-25T07:22:24.683
If you find the keys, your next task is to prove that you are virtuous, by sending your coins to a black hole address. – None – 2019-02-27T22:14:14.570
@TEV Aren't they technically already in black hole addresses? The virtuous thing to do would be to share with everyone in the world in cryptographically guaranteed way. – Rob – 2019-02-28T06:16:03.973
@Rob by ‘blackhole address’, I assume @ TEV meant one which a private key probably does not exist for, or perhaps just one for which a private key almost certainly does not exist for (eg the ‘1BitcoinEaterAddressDontSend59kuE’ address). The addresses that hold Satoshi’s coins presumedly have valid private keys. – chytrik – 2019-02-28T07:21:39.110
@Rob Suppose you somehow find yourself in possession of Satoshi's keys (e.g. you are Satoshi and you've just recovered from amnesia). You have inside information that could massively affect the purchasing power & market value of BTC. People who indulge in insider trading on the forex and stock markets are unpopular to say the least — it's illegal because it's contrary to the best interests of society. The market has a priced-in assumption that Satoshi's keys are lost, so finding them, puts you in the same position as a potential insider-trader. Black-holing is an ethical way forward. – None – 2019-02-28T11:47:38.017
@TEV I don’t think that would satisfy the definition of ‘inside information/trading’, and I would also say the market had priced in some probability of satoshi not moving his coins, but certainly no one knows for certain (except Satoshi themself, I suppose). But in any case we should continue this discussion in the mempool chatroom, we’ve gone somewhat off-topic from OP’s Q – chytrik – 2019-03-02T01:22:03.003
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Satoshi Nakamoto posted often on BitcoinTalk. If he would be able to log in and post a message revealing his true identity, it would likely be convincing.
Making transactions and signing messages inherently require private keys... – Nate Eldredge – 2019-02-25T05:11:04.350
Brainwallets only appeared years after Bitcoin was created, and IIRC even after Satoshi disappeared from public. There isn't anything to "forget", just a wallet.dat file to have or have lost. – Pieter Wuille – 2019-02-25T06:34:56.030
@PieterWuille But where would I have put it? I only started messing with Bitcoin in 2017, but somehow I know I can move those funds. How do I find out where I put the keys? In a way that's locked away in my brain. I obviously can't prove it right now because the only thing I can do is cross pollenate the public key with some other fact. I can only prove I'm Satoshi in this future. – Rob – 2019-02-25T07:24:23.420
2If you only started messing with Bitcoin in 2017 you're certainly not Satoshi. – Pieter Wuille – 2019-02-25T16:43:28.057
@Rob I certainly believe you. Look for "wallet.dat" file on all your devices, especially old hard drives from 2009. I hope you don't find it though, I don't want Satoshi coins to ever move, it will almost certainly going to crash the price. – WeAreAllSatoshi – 2019-02-26T22:06:40.220
1I'm voting to close this question as off-topic because it's not about bitcoin – Osias Jota – 2019-03-05T19:00:02.000