Some questions about ecash[tm]

-----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE-----

Some questions that I send into the ether in the
knowledge, or hope, that the great and the good
are listening, and will enlighten me...

(Since this exercise strikes even me as incredibly
presumptious, feel free to ignore this. [It takes
less energy than flaming. If you must flame, do
it in private email - I'll post a summary to the
list :-)])

1. Has there been any significant/in-depth coverage
of the Mark Twain Banks product in the financial/
banking press? Digicash's press file stops just
before the launch, and Digicash/Mark Twain Banks
press releases are not exactly what I'm looking for.

2. In the Digicash ecash tutorial (also referenced
from MT's website) the example is given of Alice
sending ecash to Cindy (Candy, Clarissa?). Cindy's
bank checks with Alice's bank before crediting
Cindy's wallet with the $5.00 sent.

In MT's FAQ, they refer, somewhat wistfully, to
a future where the ecash systems of different
banks may be able to interoperate.

How difficult would such interoperation be? Is this
something that is inherent/built into the Digicash
supplied bank system? Or would it require significant
changes to the way things are done?

Similarly, since the software supplied by Digicash
to MT customers seems somewhat MT specific, how
easy would it be for future ecash issuers to piggy
back on MT's customer base? How about merchants?

3. The MT ecash[tm] project is repeatedly referred
to as an experiment, a system in beta phase. Any
word on when the experiment will be over, or what
it is trying to prove/discover?



The thrust of these questions, of course, is How
easy will it be for the next eBank? And the one
after that? Is Digicash ready for the move to
multiple issuers? Does it have the resources to
assist another institution to launch ecash this
year? This month? One a month for the year?

Whatever. Too many questions that cannot possibly
be answered, even if there were answers to give...

Dm


-----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE-----
Version: 2.6.2

iQCVAwUBMPTVR1lo3j8JHzalAQG/JAP/dBNTMHdo4MP7TaIAZrKwMxt3U4fH/qsb
TipYBcS8lgEgUsD9Pu/enIzxeEs52K6ARnq1BE6V/G1jxFVbfnLmfV6t6TWqRxSM
68FH3eX0+ZBGFGzDMmvOGWaibZETfHikv55q7ZuqYrnfZ+wrIPKlF+UGiNY3lJlw
rpNkY3oBwqY=
=0g2R
-----END PGP SIGNATURE-----

On Thu, 11 Jan 1996, David Murray wrote:

> 1. Has there been any significant/in-depth coverage
> of the Mark Twain Banks product in the financial/
> banking press? Digicash's press file stops just
> before the launch, and Digicash/Mark Twain Banks
> press releases are not exactly what I'm looking for.

I wrote a paper on the economic aspects of ecash and other electronic
cashes last month.  I believe I posted it onto cypherpunks.  Main
conclusion was that ecash is equivalent to cash in terms of bank practice
and money supply.  I'll send you a copy if you want.  Not seen any mention
in the academic press though (either of my paper or of any others). 

PS the ecash mailing list is low volume and pretty focused.  discusses
securty and economics and stuff. 

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Patiwat Panurach      	     Whatever you can do, or dream you can, begin it.
eMAIL: pati@ipied.tu.ac.th      Boldness has genius, power and magic in it.
m/18 junior Fac of Economics		-Johann W.Von Goethe
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Dave, 
 
 
  The following may be of some help: 
 
    DigiCash bv was founded by Dr. David Chaum, a digital cash 
    and electronic security expert.  DigiCash announced the first 
    software-only product, called Ecash, that allows the transfer 
    of digital cash over the Internet.  CURRENTLY, DigiCash tech- 
    nology is being used in electronic wallets and smart cards; 
    but IN THE LONG-TERM, the technology will be used for MANY 
    MORE applications. 
 
                              ... 
 
    Company Information:            Kruislaan 419 
                                    1098 VA Amsterdam 
                                    The Netherlands 
                                    Phone: 31 20 665 2611 
                                    Fax: 31 20 668 5486 
                                    http://www.digicash.com 
                                    E-mail: info@digicash.nl 
 
                              ... 
 
    Security                        RSA Data Security public key 
                                    cryptography, including en- 
                                    cryption, authentication, and 
                                    digital signatures, as well as 
                                    PROPRIETARY blind signature 
                                    technology. 
 
    Unique Attributes               Blind signature technology 
                                    ensures anonymous transactions. 
 
 
  The above is excerpted from Lisa Morgan's chapter, "Internet Com- 
  merce," in: 
 
                     Frederick Cooper et al 
 
                     Implementing Internet Security 
 
                     New Riders Publishing 
 
                     1995 
 
 
  Capitalization is mine. 
 
 
  Cordially, 
 
  Jim