<p>There are different KYC (Know Your Customer) laws in different jurisdictions, but generally it takes information that is difficult or very time consuming to falsify. License/ID scans, utility bills, and SSNs are examples</p>

<p>Suggesting "hashing" as a KYC solution suggests you do not know what hashing is (unless you were referring to the way a server should store such confidential information). I suggest you use the search function or explore bitcoin wikipedia to learn more.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-04-21T23:16:22.757Z
2014-04-21T23:16:22.757Z
hedgedandlevered
<p>What is the minimum standard for authenticating a bitcoin user. Would it be enough, for instance to verify that someone named "Tom Au" will answer to that name at this email address? Or are more detailed checks required?</p>

<p><strong>Edit:</strong> Authentication would mean that I am what I say I am, that I am a human being and not a robot,and that I can do what I purport to be doing (trading Bitcoin).</p>

<p>Is there a public, or central registry for computer users?</p>

<p>In this event, would something as strong as <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hash_function" rel="nofollow">"hashing"</a> be needed for data storage and retrieval?</p>

<p>Would a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Web_of_trust" rel="nofollow">web of trust</a> concept work for the bitcoin community?</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-04-21T18:54:39.043Z
"Authenticate" can mean a lot of things, and I'm unaware of any standards in this direction.  In what sense would checks be *required*?  Required by whom?  Perhaps you should explain in more detail what you are trying to accomplish.
Nate Eldredge
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-04-21T22:08:43.410Z
This is the same problem that CAPTCHAs want to solve and there is not a good solution to this problem.
John L. Jegutanis
<authentication>
How does one "authenticate" a bitcoin user?
Tom Au
# How does one "authenticate" a bitcoin user?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2014-04-21)

What is the minimum standard for authenticating a bitcoin user. Would it be enough, for instance to verify that someone named "username_0" will answer to that name at this email address? Or are more detailed checks required?

**Edit:** Authentication would mean that I am what I say I am, that I am a human being and not a robot,and that I can do what I purport to be doing (trading Bitcoin).

Is there a public, or central registry for computer users?

In this event, would something as strong as ["hashing"](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hash_function) be needed for data storage and retrieval?

Would a [web of trust](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Web_of_trust) concept work for the bitcoin community?

**Tags:** authentication

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: "Authenticate" can mean a lot of things, and I'm unaware of any standards in this direction.  In what sense would checks be *required*?  Required by whom?  Perhaps you should explain in more detail what you are trying to accomplish.  
> **username_2**: This is the same problem that CAPTCHAs want to solve and there is not a good solution to this problem.  

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## 1 answers

### Answer by username_3 on 2014-04-21. Score: 1

There are different KYC (Know Your Customer) laws in different jurisdictions, but generally it takes information that is difficult or very time consuming to falsify. License/ID scans, utility bills, and SSNs are examples

Suggesting "hashing" as a KYC solution suggests you do not know what hashing is (unless you were referring to the way a server should store such confidential information). I suggest you use the search function or explore bitcoin wikipedia to learn more.


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