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From: =?ISO-8859-1?Q?Eric_Larchev=EAque?= <elarch@gmail.com>
Date: Fri, 4 Apr 2014 15:22:59 +0200
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Cc: Bitcoin Dev <bitcoin-development@lists.sourceforge.net>
Subject: Re: [Bitcoin-development] Draft BIP for seamless website
 authentication using Bitcoin address
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What I'm trying to achieve, is to have a very simple way of authenticating
yourself with one Bitcoin address from your wallet.
For most of the people using Bitcoin, their wallet is on their phone.

The UX is clear and simple :
1. click on "connect with Bitcoin" (the audience is normal people)
2. flash the QRcode with your wallet (blockchain.info, mycelium, ...)
3. accept the authentication request (same style than OpenID or Facebook
connect)
4. user is autologged and identified by the chosen Bitcoin public address

It makes sense only if major wallets are supporting the protocol. If you
need to install a plugin or download a third party software, no one will do
it.
I see only benefits for the entire ecosystem, and if I'm working on such a
proposition it is because I really need this feature.

Of course, it can be done without a BIP, I just need to convince wallet
developpers one by one to implement the feature.
But I thought it was much better to start the "official" way, so all wallet
could easily find and implement the same authentication mechanism.

>  Bitcoin and website authentication are unrelated problems

I respectfully disagree. Many services require your Bitcoin address, and to
do that they artificially request an email/password to store it.
This is not about authentication as an identity (as "I'm Eric
Larcheveque"), but as in "I'm proving to you that I control this address".

Without such a standard protocol, you could never envision a pure Bitcoin
physical locker rental, or booking an hotel room via Bitcoin and opening
the door through the paying address.

Eric



On Fri, Apr 4, 2014 at 3:08 PM, Mike Hearn <mike@plan99.net> wrote:

> This comes up every few months. I think the problem you are trying to
> solve is already solved by SSL client certificates, and if you want to he=
lp
> make them more widespread the programs you need to upgrade are web browse=
rs
> and not Bitcoin wallets. There are certainly bits of infrastructure you
> could reuse here and there, like perhaps a TREZOR with a custom firmware
> extension for really advanced/keen users, but overall Bitcoin and website
> authentication are unrelated problems.
>
>
> On Fri, Apr 4, 2014 at 2:15 PM, Eric Larchev=EAque <elarch@gmail.com> wro=
te:
>
>> Hello,
>>
>> I've written a draft BIP description of an authentication protocol based
>> on Bitcoin public address.
>>
>> By authentication we mean to prove to a service/application that we
>> control a specific Bitcoin address by signing a challenge, and that all
>> related data and settings may securely be linked to our session.
>>
>> The aim is to greatly facilitate sign ups and logins to services and
>> applications, improving the Bitcoin ecosystem as a whole.
>>
>> https://github.com/bitid/bitid/blob/master/BIP_draft.md
>>
>> Demo website :
>> http://bitid-demo.herokuapp.com/
>>
>> Classical password authentication is an insecure process that could be
>> solved with public key cryptography. The problem is that it theoreticall=
y
>> offloads a lot of complexity and responsibility on the user. Managing
>> private keys securely is complex. However this complexity is already bei=
ng
>> addressed in the Bitcoin ecosystem. So doing public key authentication i=
s
>> practically a free lunch to bitcoiners.
>>
>> I've formatted the protocol description as a BIP because this is the onl=
y
>> way to have all major wallets implementing it, and because it completely
>> fits in my opinion the BIP "process" category.
>>
>> Please read it and let me know your thoughts and comments so we can
>> improve on this draft.
>>
>> Eric Larcheveque
>> elarch@gmail.com
>>
>>
>>
>> ------------------------------------------------------------------------=
------
>>
>> _______________________________________________
>> Bitcoin-development mailing list
>> Bitcoin-development@lists.sourceforge.net
>> https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/bitcoin-development
>>
>>
>

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<div dir=3D"ltr">What I&#39;m trying to achieve, is to have a very simple w=
ay of authenticating yourself with one Bitcoin address from your wallet.<di=
v>For most of the people using Bitcoin, their wallet is on their phone.</di=
v>

<div><br></div><div>The UX is clear and simple :</div><div>1. click on &quo=
t;connect with Bitcoin&quot; (the audience is normal people)</div><div>2. f=
lash the QRcode with your wallet (<a href=3D"http://blockchain.info">blockc=
hain.info</a>, mycelium, ...)</div>

<div>3. accept the authentication request (same style than OpenID or Facebo=
ok connect)</div><div>4. user is autologged and identified by the chosen Bi=
tcoin public address</div><div><br></div><div>It makes sense only if major =
wallets are supporting the protocol. If you need to install a plugin or dow=
nload a third party software, no one will do it.</div>

<div>I see only benefits for the entire ecosystem, and if I&#39;m working o=
n such a proposition it is because I really need this feature.<br></div><di=
v><br></div><div>Of course, it can be done without a BIP, I just need to co=
nvince wallet developpers one by one to implement the feature.</div>

<div>But I thought it was much better to start the &quot;official&quot; way=
, so all wallet could easily find and implement the same authentication mec=
hanism.</div><div><br></div><div>&gt;=A0<span style=3D"font-family:arial,sa=
ns-serif;font-size:13px">=A0</span><span style=3D"font-family:arial,sans-se=
rif;font-size:13px">Bitcoin and website authentication are unrelated proble=
ms</span></div>

<div><span style=3D"font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px"><br></span=
></div><div><span style=3D"font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px">I r=
espectfully disagree. Many services require your Bitcoin address, and to do=
 that they artificially request an email/password to store it.</span></div>

<div><span style=3D"font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px">This is no=
t about authentication as an identity (as &quot;I&#39;m Eric Larcheveque&qu=
ot;), but as in &quot;I&#39;m proving to you that I control this address&qu=
ot;.</span></div>

<div><span style=3D"font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px"><br></span=
></div><div><font face=3D"arial, sans-serif">Without such a standard protoc=
ol, you could never envision a pure Bitcoin physical locker rental, or book=
ing an hotel room via Bitcoin and opening the door through the paying addre=
ss.</font></div>

<div><br></div><div><font face=3D"arial, sans-serif">Eric</font></div><div>=
<font face=3D"arial, sans-serif"><br></font></div></div><div class=3D"gmail=
_extra"><br><br><div class=3D"gmail_quote">On Fri, Apr 4, 2014 at 3:08 PM, =
Mike Hearn <span dir=3D"ltr">&lt;<a href=3D"mailto:mike@plan99.net" target=
=3D"_blank">mike@plan99.net</a>&gt;</span> wrote:<br>

<blockquote class=3D"gmail_quote" style=3D"margin:0 0 0 .8ex;border-left:1p=
x #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex"><div dir=3D"ltr">This comes up every few mon=
ths. I think the problem you are trying to solve is already solved by SSL c=
lient certificates, and if you want to help make them more widespread the p=
rograms you need to upgrade are web browsers and not Bitcoin wallets. There=
 are certainly bits of infrastructure you could reuse here and there, like =
perhaps a TREZOR with a custom firmware extension for really advanced/keen =
users, but overall Bitcoin and website authentication are unrelated problem=
s.</div>


<div class=3D"gmail_extra"><br><br><div class=3D"gmail_quote"><div><div cla=
ss=3D"h5">On Fri, Apr 4, 2014 at 2:15 PM, Eric Larchev=EAque <span dir=3D"l=
tr">&lt;<a href=3D"mailto:elarch@gmail.com" target=3D"_blank">elarch@gmail.=
com</a>&gt;</span> wrote:<br>

</div></div><blockquote class=3D"gmail_quote" style=3D"margin:0 0 0 .8ex;bo=
rder-left:1px #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex"><div><div class=3D"h5">
<div dir=3D"ltr">Hello,<br><br>I&#39;ve written a draft BIP description of =
an authentication protocol based on Bitcoin public address.<br><br>By authe=
ntication we mean to prove to a service/application that we control a speci=
fic Bitcoin address by signing a challenge, and that all related data and s=
ettings may securely be linked to our session.<div>




<br></div><div>The aim is to greatly facilitate sign ups and logins to serv=
ices and applications, improving the Bitcoin ecosystem as a whole.<br><br><=
a href=3D"https://github.com/bitid/bitid/blob/master/BIP_draft.md" target=
=3D"_blank">https://github.com/bitid/bitid/blob/master/BIP_draft.md</a><br>




<br>Demo website :<br><a href=3D"http://bitid-demo.herokuapp.com/" target=
=3D"_blank">http://bitid-demo.herokuapp.com/</a><br><br>Classical password =
authentication is an insecure process that could be solved with public key =
cryptography. The problem is that it theoretically offloads a lot of comple=
xity and responsibility on the user. Managing private keys securely is comp=
lex. However this complexity is already being addressed in the Bitcoin ecos=
ystem. So doing public key authentication is practically a free lunch to bi=
tcoiners.<br>




<div><br></div><div>I&#39;ve formatted the protocol description as a BIP be=
cause this is the only way to have all major wallets implementing it, and b=
ecause it completely fits in my opinion the BIP &quot;process&quot; categor=
y.</div>




<div><br></div><div>Please read it and let me know your thoughts and commen=
ts so we can improve on this draft.<br></div><div><br></div><div>Eric Larch=
eveque</div><div><a href=3D"mailto:elarch@gmail.com" target=3D"_blank">elar=
ch@gmail.com</a></div>




<div><br></div></div></div>
<br></div></div>-----------------------------------------------------------=
-------------------<br>
<br>_______________________________________________<br>
Bitcoin-development mailing list<br>
<a href=3D"mailto:Bitcoin-development@lists.sourceforge.net" target=3D"_bla=
nk">Bitcoin-development@lists.sourceforge.net</a><br>
<a href=3D"https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/bitcoin-development=
" target=3D"_blank">https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/bitcoin-de=
velopment</a><br>
<br></blockquote></div><br></div>
</blockquote></div><br></div>

--001a1134dec4ce8fe004f6376bd4--