This document discusses several cryptocurrencies and their applications and security aspects. It summarizes Namecoin, which aims to decentralize domain name systems and public key infrastructure through a blockchain. It also summarizes Potcoin, which targets the cannabis industry, and Primecoin, which uses prime number calculations for its proof-of-work.

1. Cryptocurrency,
application area and
related security
aspects: Namecoin,
Potcoin and Primecoin
Piotr Matuszak

2. DNS
DNS, or the Domain Name System, translates
human readable domain names (for example,
www.ue.katowice.pl) to machine readable IP
addresses (for example, 213.227.88.18).
2

3. Zooko’s Triangle
3

4. TLS
Transport Layer Security (TLS) is a cryptographic
protocol designed to provide secure
communication across a computer network.
4

5. Certificate Authorities (CA’s)
▪ Certificate Authorities are corporations that sign
certificates, which are sort of like ID cards for
authenticating websites.
▪ If you trust a CA, then you can trust all the
websites that they've signed a certificate for.
▪ Over 1000 CA’s are trusted by your web
browser
5

6. Is it safe to use CA?
▪ No it’s not
▪ If any of the 1000+ CA’s that you trust, makes a
mistake… – They could issue a false certificate
to an attacker, that allows them to do a MITM
attack.
▪ But surely, this hasn’t happened, has it?
6

7. What is Namecoin
▪ Like the DNS, but secured by a blockchain.
▪ Uses the “.bit” top-level domain (TLD).
▪ Names are represented by special coins.
▪ First project forked from Bitcoin (in 2011).
▪ Original focus of developers was on censorship-
resistance. Later Public Key Infrastructure (PKI)
use cases like TLS.
▪ It’s a key/value pair registration and transfer
system based on the Bitcoin technology.
7

8. Namecoin use case
▪ Protect free-speech rights online by making the
web more resistant to censorship.
▪ Attach identity information such as GPG and
OTR keys and email, Bitcoin, and Bitmessage
addresses to an identity of your choice.
▪ Human-meaningful Tor .onion domains.
▪ Decentralized TLS (HTTPS) certificate validation,
backed by blockchain consensus.
▪ Access websites using the .bit top-level domain.
8

9. “Bitcoin frees money –
Namecoin frees DNS,
identities, and other
technologies.
9

10. Potcoin
▪ The coin was released at 4:20 PM (420 is a
symbolic number for marijuana)
▪ PotCoin (Ᵽ) is migrating over from their legacy
blockchain to Nexus (NXS)
10

11. Potcoin
▪ PotCoin Rewards; a reward and loyalty
ecosystem platform for the cannabis industry.
▪ Seed-to-Sale
▪ Cashback Shopping Network
▪ P2P Marketplace
▪ Decentralized Finance (DeFi)
▪ Credit Card
11

12. Primecoin
▪ the first cryptocurrency to have a proof-of-work
system with a practical use
▪ Proof-of-work based on prime numbers.
▪ The first cryptocurrency in the world designed
with scientific computing as its work.
12

13. Scientific Value
▪ Proof of work only accepts Cunningham chains
and bi-twin chains
▪ The first cryptocurrency in the world designed
with scientific computing as its work.
13

14. “
30850441508659664722132438612974122
71023501460706259706649126968104765
34820434047734134642736602531729319
88038596495236206895656544680885379
87138374092060243702498626370568763
44193951492655024311612621355648702
29876054659448677847655307892151218
217403802296599113699359
14
Largest Prime Number