The online services are vital and have a lot of potential, but there needs to be a basic way to import into a simple client.
Bottom line, private key importing needs to be in the default/official client. And the sooner the better. 
Topic: Would you buy a 0.1 BTC Casascius Physical Bitcoin as a giveaway? - page 3. (Read 6588 times)
November 17, 2011, 03:17:02 PM
November 17, 2011, 03:15:28 PM
Is there a website that explains in detail how one actually redeems the BTC from a coin? Somewhere we can refer coin recipients to?
+10
Do you mean something more detailed than go to MtGox, click "Add Funds", and choose "Redeem Private Key"?
The alternative involves patching source code and is a billion times more difficult. It's out of reach for the average user.
We'll wait for it. I appreciate Magic the Gathering Online Exchange for their hard work, but then again I'm a geek at heart. I will use their service for what I can, but they are too slow and complex for most people.
Another method is to use StrongCoin to import the mini key and then send those coins somewhere else. Having a website that explains to average joe what Casascius coins are and how to redeem them would be very helpful.
The online services are vital and have a lot of potential, but there needs to be a basic way to import into a simple client.
November 17, 2011, 03:13:28 PM
I think you should stick to 0.1 btc. I would buy at least 100 of them if not more. And you should preload them all. Doesn't make sense for people to load them themselves.
And please put on your website information for people who received these coins and just googled casascius.
This.And please put on your website information for people who received these coins and just googled casascius.
Is there a website that explains in detail how one actually redeems the BTC from a coin? Somewhere we can refer coin recipients to?
+10
Do you mean something more detailed than go to MtGox, click "Add Funds", and choose "Redeem Private Key"?
The alternative involves patching source code and is a billion times more difficult. It's out of reach for the average user.
November 17, 2011, 03:07:51 PM
Is there a website that explains in detail how one actually redeems the BTC from a coin? Somewhere we can refer coin recipients to?
+10
Do you mean something more detailed than go to MtGox, click "Add Funds", and choose "Redeem Private Key"?
The alternative involves patching source code and is a billion times more difficult. It's out of reach for the average user.
Another method is to use StrongCoin to import the mini key and then send those coins somewhere else. Having a website that explains to average joe what Casascius coins are and how to redeem them would be very helpful.
November 17, 2011, 02:59:52 PM
Is there a website that explains in detail how one actually redeems the BTC from a coin? Somewhere we can refer coin recipients to?
+10
Do you mean something more detailed than go to MtGox, click "Add Funds", and choose "Redeem Private Key"?
The alternative involves patching source code and is a billion times more difficult. It's out of reach for the average user.
November 17, 2011, 02:55:52 PM
I think you should stick to 0.1 btc. I would buy at least 100 of them if not more. And you should preload them all. Doesn't make sense for people to load them themselves.
And please put on your website information for people who received these coins and just googled casascius.
And please put on your website information for people who received these coins and just googled casascius.
November 17, 2011, 02:53:15 PM
What if you offered two different rates for preloads and empties?
November 17, 2011, 02:41:33 PM
Is there a website that explains in detail how one actually redeems the BTC from a coin? Somewhere we can refer coin recipients to?
+10
November 17, 2011, 12:07:44 PM
Using firstbits is a good idea, though I'm biased.
What about just letting the purchaser load them up? If they have the firstbits, it'd be easy enough to quickly type that in, grab the full address, and send 0.1, 0.5 or 1 BTC to it.
Then again, people wouldn't know how much was on it just by looking at it, so you couldn't say it was a 10 bitcents coin or a 1 bitcoin coin - they would all be different.
What about just letting the purchaser load them up? If they have the firstbits, it'd be easy enough to quickly type that in, grab the full address, and send 0.1, 0.5 or 1 BTC to it.
Then again, people wouldn't know how much was on it just by looking at it, so you couldn't say it was a 10 bitcents coin or a 1 bitcoin coin - they would all be different.
I would probably sell them by the roll of 50, offering to pre-load them in advance, or to generate a list for the buyer to post-load them, or offering to post-load them myself.
Empty coins don't have searchable firstbits, and those not familiar with the command line interface or the "sendmany" command will spend a lot of time loading coins, and will pay a lot of transaction fees.
People wouldn't necessarily know what the amount is, but if the coin says "BITCOIN" it's reasonable to assume it might be 1 bitcoin, without actually having to be. Presumably if you're talking to somebody about Bitcoin, you'll probably tell them whether you're giving them a whole bitcoin or just part of one.
Sounds like a good plan though.
November 17, 2011, 12:06:06 PM
Using firstbits is a good idea, though I'm biased.
What about just letting the purchaser load them up? If they have the firstbits, it'd be easy enough to quickly type that in, grab the full address, and send 0.1, 0.5 or 1 BTC to it.
Then again, people wouldn't know how much was on it just by looking at it, so you couldn't say it was a 10 bitcents coin or a 1 bitcoin coin - they would all be different.
What about just letting the purchaser load them up? If they have the firstbits, it'd be easy enough to quickly type that in, grab the full address, and send 0.1, 0.5 or 1 BTC to it.
Then again, people wouldn't know how much was on it just by looking at it, so you couldn't say it was a 10 bitcents coin or a 1 bitcoin coin - they would all be different.
I would probably sell them by the roll of 50, offering to pre-load them in advance, or to generate a list for the buyer to post-load them, or offering to post-load them myself.
Empty coins don't have searchable firstbits, and those not familiar with the command line interface or the "sendmany" command will spend a lot of time loading coins, and will pay a lot of transaction fees.
People wouldn't necessarily know what the amount is, but if the coin says "BITCOIN" it's reasonable to assume it might be 1 bitcoin, without actually having to be. Presumably if you're talking to somebody about Bitcoin, you'll probably tell them whether you're giving them a whole bitcoin or just part of one.
November 17, 2011, 12:01:03 PM
What can you actually do with 0.1 bitcoin? Is there any way to spend or withdraw such a small amount? If it's not a usable/transferrable amount of currency, I don't really understand the point. If you think people will become "invested" in BTC when you give them half a postage stamp's worth, that's not the way the world works.
November 17, 2011, 11:58:05 AM
What can you actually do with 0.1 bitcoin? Is there any way to spend or withdraw such a small amount? If it's not a usable/transferrable amount of currency, I don't really understand the point. If you think people will become "invested" in BTC when you give them half a postage stamp's worth, that's not the way the world works.
November 17, 2011, 11:33:48 AM
Instead of denominating them, maybe I ought to just put "BITCOIN".
I probably will not vanitygen. It is difficult to vanitygen with mini private keys.
I will probably print only the firstbits and put them in a mini QR code. To me, loading batches efficiently is more important than redeeming a batch quickly. These are meant as giveaways, QR coding the private key is inconsistent with that purpose and also this is a coin - space is quite limited.
Using firstbits is a good idea, though I'm biased.I probably will not vanitygen. It is difficult to vanitygen with mini private keys.
I will probably print only the firstbits and put them in a mini QR code. To me, loading batches efficiently is more important than redeeming a batch quickly. These are meant as giveaways, QR coding the private key is inconsistent with that purpose and also this is a coin - space is quite limited.
What about just letting the purchaser load them up? If they have the firstbits, it'd be easy enough to quickly type that in, grab the full address, and send 0.1, 0.5 or 1 BTC to it.
Then again, people wouldn't know how much was on it just by looking at it, so you couldn't say it was a 10 bitcents coin or a 1 bitcoin coin - they would all be different.
November 17, 2011, 10:10:18 AM
Is there a website that explains in detail how one actually redeems the BTC from a coin? Somewhere we can refer coin recipients to? Perhaps have a link to it on the Casascius page so someone who has no knowledge of Bitcoin what so ever but ended up with a coin in their hand, can figure out what to do with it (or simply learn what they 'could' do with it). Ideally it would be one of the first results to come up when someone Googles Casascius: "How to redeem Bitcoin from a Casascius Coin" or something along those lines.
EDIT: And YES, I would absolutely buy 10 bitcent coins. Given the opportunity, I'd pre-order at least 100 of them right now.
EDIT: And YES, I would absolutely buy 10 bitcent coins. Given the opportunity, I'd pre-order at least 100 of them right now.
November 17, 2011, 09:12:55 AM
Instead of denominating them, maybe I ought to just put "BITCOIN".
I probably will not vanitygen. It is difficult to vanitygen with mini private keys.
I will probably print only the firstbits and put them in a mini QR code. To me, loading batches efficiently is more important than redeeming a batch quickly. These are meant as giveaways, QR coding the private key is inconsistent with that purpose and also this is a coin - space is quite limited.
I probably will not vanitygen. It is difficult to vanitygen with mini private keys.
I will probably print only the firstbits and put them in a mini QR code. To me, loading batches efficiently is more important than redeeming a batch quickly. These are meant as giveaways, QR coding the private key is inconsistent with that purpose and also this is a coin - space is quite limited.
November 17, 2011, 06:09:52 AM
Would it be possible to put the private key as a QR code on the coin? This would make it much easier to redeem.
November 17, 2011, 04:31:08 AM
Please reconsider the 0.1 coins or let's go for a compromise and say 0.5. I don't think many of us would want to buy large amounts of unsecure 1 btc coins for mass giveaway. The 1 btc coins you already provide are great gifts but they are not suited for mass giveaway and neither are any other type of 1 btc coin.
Also it's very unlikely that Bitcoin will stay at such low price forever so the 1 btc coins might not be so "cheap" in 6 months.
Also it's very unlikely that Bitcoin will stay at such low price forever so the 1 btc coins might not be so "cheap" in 6 months.
November 17, 2011, 04:24:14 AM
If there were a way to easily scan a public/private keypair into a smartphone app, I would be able to give away small coins and would gain the trust and confidence of the consumer. I could then sell larger amounts of coins, bills, or whatever. QED. Selling them for a markup would be easy and if folks want gold plated collectable Casascius coins, so much the better. I know these apps are coming. Maybe there will be one under my tree this year. 
November 17, 2011, 02:46:28 AM
For low security, give away coins, I wouldn't put the public address on the coin, only private. Public/Private keys imply a level of security, which is too high for this.
Run a vanitygen so that all private keys equate to public keys '1NoSend...' so that people know that these addresses were created in a low security environment for newbies, and not to fund these addresses. Even Grandma would be able to understand if her account started '1NoSend...' to not put money in it.
Now, a newbie would see the private key and ask himself "if only there was a way that I could fund an address without giving away the private key...", which leads to the understanding of public/private technology.
edit: have your website be able to sweep these (and only these) private keys to a public address of their choosing, or to check balance.
Run a vanitygen so that all private keys equate to public keys '1NoSend...' so that people know that these addresses were created in a low security environment for newbies, and not to fund these addresses. Even Grandma would be able to understand if her account started '1NoSend...' to not put money in it.
Now, a newbie would see the private key and ask himself "if only there was a way that I could fund an address without giving away the private key...", which leads to the understanding of public/private technology.
edit: have your website be able to sweep these (and only these) private keys to a public address of their choosing, or to check balance.
November 17, 2011, 02:10:18 AM
Somewhat off-topic, but on a new series of coin it would be cool to have the public key inscribed around the edge of the coin (edge-incused), something like this:
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