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38 lines
1.9 KiB
Markdown
38 lines
1.9 KiB
Markdown
---
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summary: 'a group of cryptographic signatures with at least one real participant, but no way to tell which in the group is the real one as they all appear valid'
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terms: ["ring-signature", "ring-signatures"]
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---
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{% include disclaimer.html translated="no" translationOutdated="no" %}
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### The Basics
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In cryptography, a ring signature is a type of digital signature that can be
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performed by any member of a group of users that each have keys. Therefore,
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a message signed with a ring signature is endorsed by someone in a
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particular group of people. One of the security properties of a ring
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signature is that it should be computationally infeasible to determine
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*which* of the group members' keys was used to produce the signature.
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For instance, a ring signature could be used to provide an anonymous
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signature from "a high-ranking White House official", without revealing
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which official signed the message. Ring signatures are right for this
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application because the anonymity of a ring signature cannot be revoked, and
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because the group for a ring signature can be improvised (requires no prior
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setup).
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### Application to Monero
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A ring signature makes use of your @account keys and a number of public keys
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(also known as outputs) pulled from the @blockchain using a triangular
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distribution method. Over the course of time, past outputs could be used
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multiple times to form possible signer participants. In a "ring" of possible
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signers, all ring members are equal and valid. There is no way an outside
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observer can tell which of the possible signers in a signature group belongs
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to your @account. So, ring signatures ensure that transaction outputs are
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untraceable. Moreover, there are no @fungibility issues with Monero given
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that every transaction output has plausible deniability (e.g. the network
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can not tell which outputs are spent or unspent).
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To read how Monero gives you privacy by default (unlinkability), see
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@stealth-addresses.
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