As It Happens
Marguerite deCourcelle, a crypto artist, created the puzzle three years ago. She speaks to As It Happens about how her puzzle was finally solved.
CBC Radio
·
Story transcript
For most people, the painting of a turtledove and phoenix is a colourful piece of art. But for one Bitcoin enthusiast, it was the key to more than $40,000 US worth ofthe digital currency.
The Bitcoin puzzle belongs to crypto artist Marguerite deCourcelle, and she's celebrating her puzzle being solved after nearly threeyears.
"He's a very brilliant man," deCourcelle told As It Happens host Carol Off about the programmer who cracked her puzzle.
- AS IT HAPPENS:Singapore PM code solves sudoku puzzles
- AS IT HAPPENS:Plagiarism puzzles crossword community
- AS IT HAPPENS:Christmas card puzzle created by British spies
The man who solved the puzzle wishes to remain anonymous, deCourcelle explains, because he doesn't feel it is safe to have Bitcoin where he lives.
He told Motherboard that he found ita little over a month ago, after looking for a cryptocurrency puzzle he could work on with his wife. He has written an explanation on how he solved the puzzle.
What is a Bitcoin puzzle?
DeCourcelle created the puzzle during Easter2015, alongside fellow crypto artist Rob Myers, as a way to conclude a series of Bitcoin puzzles called The Legend of Satoshi Nakamoto.
This particular painting, TORCHED H34R7S, is based onof William Shakespeare's famous poem,The Phoenix and the Turtle. Within the painting, there are two pieces of information that have to be decoded in order to access the Bitcoin wallet.
The first piece of information is found in the 16different types of flames on the border of the painting, based on their colour, size and width. There are Greek symbols in each corner, which hold clues for how to read the information contained in the flames.
After that, the key to the puzzle is the literal key in the painting.
"You use the key, which has bits of information as well, as basically a cipher key to decrypt the flames and you'll have then a Bitcoin private key," deCourcelle said.
Once the player had that key, he was able to access the five Bitcoins within the wallet, which are worth, in total, more than $42,500($53,480Cdn.)
"His way that he went about it was such a logical way that it showcases his brilliance," she said.
Her inspiration
When deCourcelle made TORCHED H34R7Sin 2015, it was more than just a game. The Phoenix and the Turtle,the poem that it's based off, held significance for her at a time when her life was not going as she had planned.
"I made this almost like a prayer that my life was going to turnaround, because I made this at rock bottom," she said.
"And I felt like if I made something really amazing then, you know, somehow things would start to turn around."
'This space has given me so much opportunity'
A Bitcoinwas only worth a few hundred dollars at the time. Now, a Bitcoinisworth closer to $8,500US ($10,700Cdn) depending on the day.
ButdeCourcelle is not upset to have given away the grand prize.
"From that rock bottom time in my life, I've really had some amazing friendships, networks and just being involved in this space has given me so much opportunity that now I, myself, am a successful blockchain entrepreneur," she said.
"Itgives me an opportunity to give back to someone that really could go on and do something really amazing."
More from this episode
- Ontario Korean War vet's long-lost letter discovered in a 1939 Buick in B.C.
- As It Happens Reuters exposes a Rohingya massacre — but the reporters who uncovered it are still behind bars
- As It Happens 'Pitter patter, let's get at 'er!': Alberta man boycotts all B.C. products over pipeline dispute
- February 9, 2018 episode transcript
- As It Happens FULL EPISODE: As It Happens: Friday Edition
