Crypto News

Bitcoin Blockchain Is Fighting Fraud In Guatemala’s Presidential Elections

Published

1 year ago

September 23, 2023

Bitcoin is helping secure the truthfulness of Guatemala’s election results.

Thanks to OpenTimestamps, a tool created by bitcoin developer Peter Todd a few years ago, Guatemalan tech startup Simple Proof is able to safeguard key documents about the country’s presidential elections from fraud and tampering. Todd’s tool, which leverages hash functions and the bitcoin blockchain, is able to timestamp pieces of information and make it easier to spot attempts at fraud and manipulation.

The idea of timestamping documents is fairly old. Individuals and societies have relied on this technique for centuries to indicate when a document was signed, when a cheque was written, or when someone was born. Cryptographic timestamps, however, are much newer. They take the concept of human timestamping a step further by relying on math instead of a fallible and corruptible human being. Signatures can be forged by sophisticated actors, and authorities can be subject to different incentives, making them capable of being bribed or corrupted. Also, “to err is human,” while math makes no error if the correct algorithms are used.

An example of a good algorithm is a hash function, a type of mathematical function that takes a variable sized input to output a fixed length result. This result is called the hash of that input. Hash functions are used in the bitcoin network, notably in blocks that get added to the blockchain, as well as by OpenTimestamps.

How Does OpenTimestamps Work?

OpenTimestamps leverages hash functions to cryptographically timestamp any piece of data into the bitcoin blockchain. In this case, math is being leveraged to improve upon the use of human signatures or attestation, and the bitcoin blockchain is being used as a decentralized digital ledger to anchor that information, linking it to a block. This ensures tens of thousands of nodes in the network can all independently witness the existence of the timestamp anchor and be able to verify that indeed that hash was added to a block which was mined at a certain time.

OpenTimestamps works by hashing the information submitted by a given user and adding it to a bitcoin block with a bitcoin transaction. Since the bitcoin block’s hash is calculated leveraging all the information contained in that block, the timestamping data is necessary for the calculation of that block’s hash. In other words, the assumption with the timestamping is that the miner must’ve necessarily started with that timestamp transaction –– along with the other transactions contained in the block –– to arrive at the block’s hash. This means that the information that was timestamped must have existed prior to the creation of that bitcoin block. Since every bitcoin block has a timestamp of its own, users can check the date and time that block was mined and be able to be assured with mathematical certainty that the document existed in a point in time prior to that block’s timestamp.

On its own, this assurance isn’t that valuable. Sure, it lets someone prove that a piece of data existed prior to a given point in time, but how is this useful? Well, combined with other types of information and evidence, many things can be deduced from this simple assurance. For example, one can deduce that since that information existed before that bitcoin block, any changes to that information were done after that time if its hash is different.

The pieces of information and evidence necessary for more sophisticated conclusions need to be handled by the user because, ultimately, all that OpenTimestamps provides is the proof of inclusion of the hash of that information in that bitcoin block. Therefore, users that requested the timestamp should keep the original information in hand in case they want to prove their data matches the timestamp. Given the properties of hash functions –– the same inputs always generate the same output –– the hash will be the same if the information hasn’t been altered. Thus, it becomes quite easy to tell if any alterations have been made to the original information because the hash would be different.

Under the hood, OpenTimestamps doesn’t put the hash of each individual piece of data being timestamped into bitcoin. That could be expensive, as it would require one on-chain bitcoin transaction for each timestamp. Instead, OpenTimestamps leverages Merkle trees to compact that information as much as possible.

Similar to how you can hash a large piece of information and arrive at a fixed length hash, you can hash two hashes further and get to a single hash. Likewise, you can start with four pieces of information, hash them individually, then hash them in pairs until you’re left with only one hash. The value proposition of Merkle trees in this context is all about scaling this setup, where you have a large number of individual pieces of information and you hash them until you’re left with one hash –– the root hash. OpenTimestamps takes this root hash and adds it to bitcoin, distributing the cost of a single bitcoin transaction to each initial piece of information that was submitted for timestamping and used to construct the tree.

Users can still check that their individual hash was added, and that ultimately their data was timestamped. They can leverage the OpenTimestamps website, or go full cypherpunk and hash all the data until they reach the tree’s root hash and crosscheck with the data that’s on bitcoin.

What Does This Have To Do With Guatemala?

Guatemala has a long history of corruption and fraud amid its political circles. Simple Proof was implemented in that context by ITZ DATA as an immutable backup solution for the Guatemalan Supreme Elections Tribunal (TSE) –– the highest electoral authority in the country.

“The Simple Proof solution, named Immutable Backup, leverages the OpenTimestamps protocol to record proofs of documents in a tamper-evident manner on the bitcoin blockchain,” Rafael Cordón, co-founder of Simple Proof, told Bitcoin Magazine. “TSE used Simple Proof to safeguard official election documents and protect critical information from artificial intelligence and disinformation, ensuring that any tampering of documents is made evident and any citizen can independently verify the information for themselves.”

Guatemala’s citizens can check any given tally sheet and verify its proof of timestamp through a dedicated web portal. Each sheet contains the sum of votes for each candidate at a voting poll. Therefore, transparency is provided to the population regarding the tally sheets that were scanned and used to count the votes, as well as when each tally sheet was timestamped.

It is important to note that this setup can’t attest whether a given tally sheet is valid or not; there is still a trust assumption towards TSE. However, it is an improvement over just taking officials for their word, as it is, for example, easier to spot outliers among all the tally sheets. Rather than being able to tell voters specific validity information for any single tally sheet, OpenTimestamps allows an overview of the entire context of the elections.

For example, it arguably shouldn’t take more than an hour after voting ends to scan a tally sheet, upload it to Simple Proof’s solution, and get it timestamped into a confirmed bitcoin block. If the majority of tally sheets fall within that hour but a few were timestamped much longer after the closing of votes, it is reasonable to assume that those outlier sheets have a much greater chance of being fraudulent than the other ones. In other words, in the event that a tally sheet was entered much after it was supposed to, the timestamps are going to tell you that it is suspicious that it took that long to timestamp the sheet after the polls closed rather than less than an hour later.

This was and still is being specially important in the context of Guatemala’s elections because of the tension there was leading up to the race, as well as the outlier candidate who ended up winning it. President-elect Bernardo Arévalo wasn’t expected to even qualify for the main race months before it took place.

Once Arévalo won the presidential election, the outcry was massive. Officials from the office of the country’s attorney general, María Consuelo Porras, raided facilities of the TSE, opening dozens of boxes of votes, per AP. The opposing party, UNE, claimed the victory was fraudulent and demanded a vote recount.

UNE posted a thread on X explaining their rationale with some alleged evidence –– including a screenshot of one tally sheet on Simple Proof’s web tool that showed it was timestamped before the polls closed.

Either in an attempt to push their narrative or by mistake, the screenshot of that tally sheet was taken on a different timezone than the country’s capital official time, leading to the one-hour difference. In this specific case, bitcoin helped ensure the claims made by UNE were false, and any citizen was able to verify it by checking the timestamp on their computer. Notably, one did –– publishing a screenshot on X rectifying that the tally sheet UNE claimed had been tampered with had actually not been timestamped too early.

While bitcoin was designed and developed solely to solve the double spend problem and achieve electronic peer-to-peer money, its network of nodes and decentralized ledger can power other interesting use cases.

In this case, it’s evident how Simple Proof played an important role in protecting key election information. Had OpenTimestamps and bitcoin not been a part of the process of securing that information in a cryptographic, public and decentralized manner, there could’ve been a much bigger outcry and tumultuous procedures to try to ensure the information hadn’t been tampered with. Doubts would most likely still persist, and in a country with a history of fragile democratic procedures, the shaking of confidence could deter the president-elect’s ability to lead the nation as its rightful new leader.

Guatemala’s Supreme Election Tribunal is using bitcoin timestamping to detect fraud attempts in the country’s presidential elections.

Crypto News

Texas State Rep Files For Strategic Bitcoin Reserve

Published

3 hours ago

December 12, 2024

Follow Nikolaus On &Xopf; Here For Daily Posts

Today, Texas State Representative Giovanni Capriglione officially filed for a Strategic Bitcoin Reserve bill for the state of Texas during a 𝕏 spaces with Dennis Porter of Satoshi Action Fund, a Bitcoin advocacy organization working with politicians on pro-Bitcoin legislation.

To summarize, the bill would effectively:

See Texas buy and hold bitcoin as a strategic reserve asset.
Securely store the BTC in cold storage for at least five years.
Allow Texas residents to donate bitcoin to the reserve.
Ensure transparency via yearly reports and audits.
Allow state agencies to accept cryptocurrencies, and convert them to bitcoin.
Establish rules for security, donations, and management.

“This Act takes effect immediately if it receives a 12 vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as 13 provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution,” the legislation states. “If this Act 14 does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this Act 15 takes effect September 1, 2025.”

This is yet another step towards America embracing Bitcoin, fueled by President-elect Donald Trump and Senator Cynthia Lummis’ lead by introducing a Strategic Bitcoin Reserve bill for the United States earlier this year. The hype around implementing a Strategic Bitcoin Reserve has caused a snowball effect of other states and countries introducing legislation to adopt one as well. Other states like Pennsylvania and countries like Russia and Brazil are among those introducing bills for a Strategic Bitcoin Reserve.

“Chairman Capriglione is the Chair of the Texas Pensions, Investments, and Financial Services Committee so this bill has legs!” commented Lee Bratcher, President of the Texas Blockchain Council. “No taxpayer funds will be spent on the bitcoin.”

Texas State Rep Files For Strategic Bitcoin Reserve Representative Giovanni Capriglione filed it live during a 𝕏 spaces.

Crypto News

Can Realized Cap HODL Waves Identify The Next Bitcoin Price Peak?

Published

5 hours ago

December 12, 2024

Bitcoin’s cyclical nature has captivated investors for over a decade, and tools like the Realized Cap HODL Waves offer a window into the psychology of the market. As an adaptation of the traditional HODL waves, this indicator provides crucial insights by weighting age bands by the realized price—the cost basis of Bitcoin held in wallets at any given time.

Currently, the six-month-and-below band sits at ~55%, signaling a market with room to grow before reaching overheated levels historically seen around 80%. In this article, we’ll dive into the details of Realized Cap HODL Waves, what they tell us about the market, and how investors can use this tool to better navigate Bitcoin’s price cycles.

When the 6-month and below #Bitcoin Realized Cap HODL Waves bands surpass ~80%, it’s a good indication the market is over-heated, and a major price peak is likely… 🔥

Currently we’re at around 55%, plenty of upside to go for #BTC!👆 pic.twitter.com/ZL5P7USMo9

— Bitcoin Magazine Pro (@BitcoinMagPro) December 12, 2024

Click here to view the Realized Cap HODL Waves live chart on Bitcoin Magazine Pro.

Understanding Realized Cap HODL Waves

At its core, the Realized Cap HODL Waves chart shows the cost basis of Bitcoin held in wallets, grouped into different age brackets. Unlike traditional HODL waves, which track the total supply of Bitcoin, this chart accounts for the realized value—a measure of the price at which Bitcoin was last moved.

The key insight? Younger age bands (e.g., coins held for six months or less) tend to dominate during bullish phases, reflecting rising market optimism. Conversely, older age bands gain prominence during bearish phases, often coinciding with market bottoms when investor sentiment is subdued.

This dynamic allows the chart to serve as a barometer for market cycles, identifying periods of overheating or underpricing with remarkable accuracy.

Why 80% Is Critical: Historical Context

The chart reveals that when short-term holders—represented by the six-month-and-below age bands—make up 80% or more of the total realized cap, Bitcoin is often nearing a major market peak. This level historically aligns with euphoric price action, where speculative mania drives the market.

For example:

2013 Bull Market: The six-month band surpassed 80% during Bitcoin’s meteoric rise, marking the peak of the cycle.
2017 Bull Market: A similar pattern occurred as Bitcoin reached its then-all-time high of $20,000.
2021 Bull Market: Peaks in the short-term bands preceded corrections, reinforcing the indicator’s predictive value.

At the current ~55% level, there is ample room for Bitcoin to grow before reaching the overheated territory historically seen near 80%.

What the Data Tells Us Today

The latest Chart of the Day, shared by Bitcoin Magazine Pro, underscores the importance of this indicator. Here are the key takeaways:

Room for Growth: With the six-month-and-below bands at 55%, the market appears to be in a healthy growth phase with significant upside potential.

No Overheating Yet: Historically, overheating occurs when these bands exceed 80%. This suggests Bitcoin has room to run before encountering similar conditions.

Cycle Perspective: The current cycle aligns with early-to-mid-stage bull market behavior, where newer investors are accumulating, and optimism is building.

The ETF Effect: How Bitcoin ETFs Could Impact Realized Cap HODL Waves

Unlike previous Bitcoin cycles, 2024 marks a significant shift with the introduction of Bitcoin ETFs. These financial products, designed to provide institutional and retail investors easy exposure to Bitcoin, have the potential to reshape the on-chain data reported by tools like Realized Cap HODL Waves. While this indicator has historically been a reliable measure of market cycles and price peaks, the dynamics of this cycle may differ.

Bitcoin ETFs aggregate investments from numerous participants into centralized custodial wallets, reducing the number of active on-chain addresses and transactions. This centralization introduces unique challenges when interpreting Realized Cap HODL Waves:

Younger Age Bands May Underestimate Market Activity: ETF trading occurs off-chain, meaning that short-term transactions and active addresses might be underrepresented in the six-month-and-below bands. As a result, the indicator could suggest less market enthusiasm than is actually present.
Older Age Bands May Dominate: Long-term Bitcoin holdings within ETFs could shift realized value into higher age bands, making it appear that the market is more conservative and less dynamic than in previous cycles.

While ETFs bring increased liquidity and price discovery through traditional markets, they also introduce complexities for on-chain analysis. This shift highlights the importance of adapting how we interpret indicators like Realized Cap HODL Waves in the context of evolving market structures.

Why This Cycle May Be Different

With Bitcoin ETFs now playing a central role, this cycle may not follow the same patterns as previous ones. The historical success of Realized Cap HODL Waves in identifying price peaks remains noteworthy, but investors should consider that ETFs represent a new variable. Increased adoption via ETFs could lead to more significant price movements that are less directly visible in on-chain data.

As always, it’s crucial not to rely solely on one indicator for investment decisions. Tools like Realized Cap HODL Waves are best used to supplement broader market analysis, providing valuable insights into underlying market trends. By combining on-chain indicators with ETF inflow data and other metrics, investors can gain a clearer and more comprehensive understanding of Bitcoin’s price dynamics in this new era.

How Investors Can Use Realized Cap HODL Waves

For investors, the Realized Cap HODL Waves chart offers actionable insights:

Market Sentiment: Use the six-month band as a gauge of market euphoria or fear. Higher percentages indicate bullish sentiment, while lower percentages often signal consolidation or accumulation phases.
Cycle Timing: Peaks in younger age bands often precede corrections. Monitoring these levels can help investors manage risk during bullish cycles.
Strategic Positioning: Understanding when the market is overheating can help long-term holders optimize their exit strategies, while buyers may find opportunities during periods dominated by older age bands.

Conclusion: Bullish Outlook with Room to Run

The Realized Cap HODL Waves chart is an invaluable tool for understanding Bitcoin’s price cycles. With the six-month-and-below bands currently at 55%, the market shows plenty of upside potential before hitting overheated levels. For investors, this means the current phase offers an attractive opportunity to capitalize on Bitcoin’s growth trajectory.

As always, it’s crucial to combine this indicator with other tools and fundamental analysis. To explore more live data and stay updated on Bitcoin’s price action, visit Bitcoin Magazine Pro.

Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and should not be considered financial advice. Always do your own research before making any investment decisions.

Can Realized Cap HODL Waves Identify The Next Bitcoin Price Peak? The Realized Cap HODL Waves chart highlights how Bitcoin’s market cycles align with shifts in investor behavior. With short-term holders currently at ~55% of total realized value, the data suggests significant upside potential before the market overheats near 80%.

Crypto News

Why It’s Not Too Late to Invest in Bitcoin

Published

1 day ago

December 11, 2024

For years, Bitcoin skeptics have watched from the sidelines, waiting for a moment to join the ride, only to convince themselves that they’ve already missed the boat. However, the reality tells a different story. Not only is it not too late, but Bitcoin continues to prove itself as a superior investment option compared to traditional assets—whether you have $25 a week to spare or millions to allocate.

Bitcoin Magazine Pro has a free portfolio analysis tool, Dollar Cost Average (DCA) Strategies, which enables investors to measure Bitcoin’s performance against other leading assets like gold, the Dow Jones (DJI), and Apple (AAPL) stock. This powerful tool provides hard data to demonstrate how consistent, disciplined investing over time can lead to outsized returns, even with modest amounts.

The Bitcoin Magazine Pro Dollar Cost Average Strategies tool helps you explore different DCA parameters to see how your portfolio would have performed across different time horizons and investment levels.

What Is Bitcoin Dollar Cost Averaging?

Dollar cost averaging involves investing a fixed amount of money at regular intervals, regardless of the asset’s price. This strategy eliminates emotional decision-making and smooths out the effects of market volatility. By consistently buying Bitcoin over a defined period, investors benefit from market dips while building their portfolios over time.

Outperforming Traditional Assets Across Timeframes

Let’s break down the numbers using the DCA Strategies tool, starting with the last six months to emphasize recent performance::

6 Months:
Investing $25 weekly in Bitcoin would have turned $675 into $985.56, a 46.01% return. Meanwhile: Gold increased just 5.82%. Apple (AAPL) gained 10.32%. The Dow Jones (DJI) delivered a mere 7.34%.
1 Year:
With a total investment of $1,325 in Bitcoin, your portfolio would now be worth $2,140.20, reflecting a 61.52% return. By comparison: Gold increased by 14.50%. Apple gained 22.80%. The Dow Jones grew by only 11.36%.
2 Years:
A $25 weekly investment totaling $2,650 would now be valued at $7,145.42—a 169.64% return. Meanwhile: Gold rose by 26.56%. Apple grew by 36.22%. The Dow Jones delivered 21.13%.
4 Years:
The long-term case is even stronger. A $5,250 investment would now be worth $14,877.77, representing an incredible 183.39% return. In the same period: Gold increased by 37.26%. Apple gained 54.05%. The Dow Jones grew 27.32%.

Across every timeframe, Bitcoin outpaces traditional assets, offering compelling returns even during short-term periods of six months to a year.

Why Timing the Market Doesn’t Matter

For investors hesitant about entering the market now, it’s important to understand that Bitcoin’s long-term performance speaks for itself. Historical data shows that adopting a DCA strategy minimizes the risk of market timing while amplifying returns over time. Even small, regular investments compound significantly when Bitcoin appreciates.

Moreover, Bitcoin is no longer seen as a speculative asset but as a reliable store of value in a volatile economic landscape. With institutional adoption, technological advancements, and increasing scarcity due to its fixed supply, Bitcoin’s long-term outlook remains overwhelmingly positive.

Why You’re Still Early

The global adoption of Bitcoin is still in its infancy. Despite its impressive performance, Bitcoin’s total market capitalization is small compared to traditional asset classes like gold or equities. This means there’s still significant room for growth as more individuals, institutions, and even governments recognize its utility and value.

Despite Bitcoin’s impressive track record of outperforming gold in terms of returns, its market capitalization at the time of writing stands at only 10.82% of gold’s market cap. This highlights significant growth potential; at current market prices, Bitcoin would need to increase 9.24 times to reach parity with gold, translating to a projected price of $934,541 per BTC.

This price target is in line with recent Bitcoin forecasts, including Eric Trump’s confident projection that Bitcoin’s price will reach $1 million.

With tools like Bitcoin Magazine Pro’s DCA Strategies, anyone can explore how small, regular investments can create exponential growth over time. Whether your starting point is $25 per week or $2,500, the data proves one thing: it’s never too late to start investing in Bitcoin.

A Tool for Every Investor

The DCA Strategies tool available on Bitcoin Magazine Pro allows you to customize your investment parameters, including purchase amounts, frequencies, and start dates. This flexibility empowers investors to create tailored strategies that align with their financial goals and time horizons.

The tool also provides comparative analysis against other assets, so you can clearly see how Bitcoin outperforms over time. This isn’t just a theoretical exercise—it’s actionable insight for anyone serious about building long-term wealth.

Conclusion: The Time to Act Is Now

For those sitting on the fence, thinking they’ve missed their chance, the data is clear: Bitcoin is not only a viable investment—it’s the best-performing asset of the decade. With a DCA strategy, even the most cautious investor can start small and reap the rewards of long-term growth.

It’s time to stop watching from the sidelines. Use Bitcoin Magazine Pro’s Dollar Cost Average Strategies tool to craft your investment approach today. If history repeats itself—and there’s every reason to believe it will—Bitcoin’s future is brighter than ever.

To explore live data and stay informed on the latest analysis, visit bitcoinmagazinepro.com.

Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and should not be considered financial advice. Always do your own research before making any investment decisions.

This article is a Take. Opinions expressed are entirely the author’s and do not necessarily reflect those of BTC Inc or Bitcoin Magazine.

Why It’s Not Too Late to Invest in Bitcoin Think you’ve missed the Bitcoin boom? Think again. Despite its impressive past performance, Bitcoin continues to be a top-performing asset, even in recent months. With strategies like Dollar Cost Averaging (DCA), you don’t need a fortune to start investing. Learn why Bitcoin outshines gold, the Dow Jones, and other traditional investments, proving it’s never too late to join the Bitcoin revolution.