Topic: [CLOSED] ►►► 2016 Bitcoin halving tribute puzzle ◄◄◄ **SOLVED** (Read 1744 times)

Thanks for the explanation, me too I wasn't anywhere near getting started but it's good learning

Wow, been watching this with interest, and I'm no way near smart enough to solve these cryptographic puzzles. Awesome job with creating these TookDk, and congrats to the winner!

Personally, these are way too hard - for me that is. I didn't get anywhere near solving this.

Not true.
I did solve it independently.  Just took too long to post the message, got distracted.  The last clue made this too obvious.
Use this:  http://www.shodor.org/interactivate/activities/SimplePlot/
copy and paste these pairs:
22   11
1   1
1   12
24   19
7   1
14   20
16   16
4   21
5   19
13   24
9   24
4   17
22   21
25   14
3   12
20   10
9   1
14   12
8   17
1   9
5   23
1   23
18   4
2   17
19   24
11   6
17   6
23   22
19   13
12   2
18   12
3   11
24   16
8   16
7   3
22   5
19   7
15   3
17   9
16   12
3   21
18   3
25   2
21   19
25   3
16   8
1   3
10   8
22   19
23   19
15   12
20   13
7   24
2   14
12   24
19   23
25   20
14   2
17   9
3   5
5   15
12   13
24   6
15   25
10   17
15   19
15   5
1   17
21   22
3   14
18   13
13   15
11   20
15   11
23   21
4   1
19   5
12   23
11   11
17   7
8   12
15   17
3   25
25   1
9   3
15   6
18   10
3   10
13   5
22   12
19   14
12   22
5   21
4   3
25   19
1   24
9   22
24   1
17   13
25   24
12   5
5   16
1   4
10   25
9   2
2   25
5   7
12   1
20   9
24   9
6   19
23   12
19   25
19   3
6   15
24   17
4   4
20   19
2   7
12   14
22   25
18   17
15   4
21   21
4   19
22   4
10   24
11   23
17   17
21   7
10   14
23   23
17   19
1   25
25   22
20   25
3   3
22   23
17   8
14   14
5   11
9   17
13   11
24   8
14   21
19   10
22   10
7   20
5   17
20   12
11   7
7   15
13   9
1   2
14   4
3   23
13   17
17   20
9   15
7   19
16   21
6   10
14   25
22   6
11   19
7   9
5   13
6   13
5   4
4   22
3   7
16   4
17   16
6   14
22   9
16   24
25   23
6   7
15   13
9   5
8   9
7   22
10   6
9   10
1   7
7   11
7   13
23   25
10   13
21   23
21   5
16   10
1   19
15   8
16   23
3   22
17   15
1   20
15   16
18   16
1   22
22   16
14   24
13   12
14   8
9   7
7   2
20   2
12   15
13   3
19   16
19   21
25   21
25   15
1   10
13   18
9   4
3   17
9   8
22   8
18   5
17   3
19   12
25   7
7   21
1   13
16   18
13   7
2   19
10   23
11   17
22   22
3   19
11   14
9   20
5   5
13   6
17   5
25   9
7   17
7   7
4   14
22   15
25   4
20   17
7   6
23   11
24   25
13   19
21   25
7   5
4   25
19   19
13   21
2   16
21   9
7   23
5   12
5   1
23   2
3   4
10   16
19   7
8   10
2   1
11   21
5   14
19   1
16   11
13   10
16   7
8   11
6   1
20   14
19   9
1   5
4   5
7   4
22   2
5   3
4   10
1   11
25   13
25   11
7   25
5   25
16   25
25   25
20   5
22   7
25   6
21   14
6   25
15   15
14   16
19   20
21   5
22   3
1   21
5   22
18   1
21   8
3   1
10   22
8   13
17   5
21   9
9   19
5   10
11   12
15   10
15   21
25   10
19   22
4   7
22   17
14   6
14   7
1   6
21   6
10   15
4   23
13   13
18   9
25   5

Select "Scatter" on plot type.  I chose Light Grid Lines but you don't need to.
the resulting image is "too large" to scan, but it's obviously a QR code, so we need to reduce the scale and make it scanable, to do so, click the "-" on the top right of the graph pic.  now, use an app like  QRReader and scan the image, and you get the message.

BTC part of the prize has been sent to the winner:
e250d9371d18e58dd8a9dfe9329e872558c69bab3aec6f99525ed4791167ec94

The coin will be shipped tomorrow.

Thank you for participating and taking time to write some feedback.
It was not my intention to mislead, my idea was to start with very vague hints, and then later make them more clear and precise.
I did also realize that the use of famous "quotes" was properly not the best idea, I should have just have stated the facts and/or the pictures.

Puzzle was very hard. And that's OK. Nice challenge, had fun with this, THX
But Your hints where misleading. Last one and hint nr4. It said that order
of pairs was without significance for solution. Now I do understand what you meant,
when solution is known. But earlier...ignored those coordinates.
Any way, Im sure that wasn't on purpose. Congratulations for the winner.

Explanation to the hints:
1. All the information needed to synthesize the phrase are in the data matrix. Obviously at this point you do not know how to approach the problem. The data pairs could have been presented in any form, the squared arrangement could be the first hint that you need to generate a QR code.  There are 26 column and 25 rows, this asymmetry is the first hint that the data should be read as pairs.

2. This hint reveal that the data are read in pairs, the picture of the couple reveal a coordinate set 22 and 11 (on their shoes), at this point do you not know what is x and what is y, the first pair is (22,11) suggesting x=22 and y=11, the fact that the males have a Y chromosome and females only have X chromosome could help confirming this.

3. The range of the data is revealed, at this point can you more or less rule out hexadecimal and you know that 01 = 1. The pictures is the first solid hint that the pairs are X and Y coordinates,  the X and Y has the exact same colour as the male and female from above, from here is it reasonable to assume that x=22 and y=11.

4. This hint reveals that the pairs are coordinate sets and rule out most decipher scenarios, since the randomization will limit the information to be present in the pairs and not the matrix as a whole. The pictures gives a valuable hint  as it is a prototype of the solution, the side of the rubrics cube  has 3x3 squares (or pixels) the coordinate set of the first pixel is shown as (01;01).

5. The purpose of this hint is to lead the thoughts patterns to a graphical solution in a 2 dimensional Cartesian coordinate system. At this point should there be enough information to start plotting the data points and realize that the solution is a QR code. However this is tricky since you have to plot a large amount of the data points blindly of what the result might be.

6. This hint is designed to convince the contester to plot the data, blindly of what the result might be. The idea is create a sensation of realization in the process of the plotting, since you obviously do not need all the points to realize that the result is a QR. Once you have realized that it is a QR then would it be easy to make the QR code with Excel, Matlab etc.

How to generate the data matrix.
I had to find a phrase that would not be too long to fit a 25x25 QR code, else would it take too long to work with.
Once I found a phrase then did I map the point in a coordinate system (from 1 to 25) in two columns using excel, I would dublicate some of the points to end up with 26x25 numbers in total (so it would look like a matrix) and randomize all pairs. The two columns was exported to an txt file and read into Matlab:


The matlab code generates a plot so I could test QR code and it prints out the data in a format understood my the SMF based forum.

It's a very challenging and creative puzzle. Nice job!

Thank you very much
Feel free to post feedback, if the puzzle was too hard/easy/unfiar/fair etc.

This was a really cool puzzle! Thanks for making it Took!  Maybe I'll get the next one 

You are correct, the dots in hint 6 would not be large enough to actually scan the solution.
However, the idea is that once you start plotting the points, then would you quickly realized that it was a QR, and then would you shift to another medium.
If you made squares on the paper instead, then would it scan, but that would have been slightly easier if I have used squares instead.

Any more info on how it was plotted?
Or url where to learn more about these things?

There is also an unsolved puzzle from Coinartist here: New Bitcoin Puzzle.

WTF 4 minutes? He just reposted
Besides it was impossible to solve this with pen and paper.
If plane was big (A5) and dots where small (ball pen) no way anything
could read that QR. I know because I tried.

Sorry CITM, looks like pawnshop770 beat you with 4 minutes.
I would like to give you a 2nd place prize, even though it was not defined in the rules, I will send you a PM.

Yep its was a QR code once it was plotted

Wow I've been watching this... Well done to Took for the idea and to the winner!

LOL Congrats! you beat me to it... I took too long to post

420000 pages of history!

Congratulations - Well done! 

Feel free to post how you found the solution!