Untraceable Electronic Cash

Untraceable Electronic Cash

1990 | David Chaum, Amos Fiat, Moni Naor
This paper presents a method for creating untraceable electronic cash, which allows users to make payments without revealing their identity or transaction details to the bank or merchants. The system is based on cryptographic techniques, particularly the RSA digital signature scheme, and uses a combination of one-way functions and randomization to ensure privacy and prevent double-spending. The core idea is that each electronic coin is generated through a protocol involving a bank and a user (Alice). Alice selects random values and sends them to the bank, which verifies the coin's authenticity and issues it. The coin is structured in a way that allows the bank to verify its validity without linking it to Alice's account. The bank can trace a coin if it is reused, but the user's privacy remains protected. To prevent double-spending, the system uses a "cut-and-choose" method, where the bank randomly selects a subset of coins to verify. This ensures that the bank can detect if a coin has been used more than once. Additionally, the system includes a method for the bank to prove that a coin has been reused, which is necessary for legal and security reasons. The paper also discusses an extension of this system to create untraceable checks, which allow users to make payments for any amount up to a limit and later request a refund. The system ensures that the bank does not know where the money was spent or the individual transaction amounts. The authors also address the issue of blacklisting coins that have been reused, ensuring that all coins withdrawn by a user are linked in some way, allowing the bank to track and prevent fraud. The paper concludes with a discussion of further research directions, including the formal requirements for the cryptographic functions used and the security of the protocols. The work is motivated by previous research in zero-knowledge proofs and minimum disclosure proofs, and it aims to provide a practical and secure method for untraceable electronic payments.This paper presents a method for creating untraceable electronic cash, which allows users to make payments without revealing their identity or transaction details to the bank or merchants. The system is based on cryptographic techniques, particularly the RSA digital signature scheme, and uses a combination of one-way functions and randomization to ensure privacy and prevent double-spending. The core idea is that each electronic coin is generated through a protocol involving a bank and a user (Alice). Alice selects random values and sends them to the bank, which verifies the coin's authenticity and issues it. The coin is structured in a way that allows the bank to verify its validity without linking it to Alice's account. The bank can trace a coin if it is reused, but the user's privacy remains protected. To prevent double-spending, the system uses a "cut-and-choose" method, where the bank randomly selects a subset of coins to verify. This ensures that the bank can detect if a coin has been used more than once. Additionally, the system includes a method for the bank to prove that a coin has been reused, which is necessary for legal and security reasons. The paper also discusses an extension of this system to create untraceable checks, which allow users to make payments for any amount up to a limit and later request a refund. The system ensures that the bank does not know where the money was spent or the individual transaction amounts. The authors also address the issue of blacklisting coins that have been reused, ensuring that all coins withdrawn by a user are linked in some way, allowing the bank to track and prevent fraud. The paper concludes with a discussion of further research directions, including the formal requirements for the cryptographic functions used and the security of the protocols. The work is motivated by previous research in zero-knowledge proofs and minimum disclosure proofs, and it aims to provide a practical and secure method for untraceable electronic payments.
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[slides and audio] Untraceable Electronic Cash