Can We Verify Bitcoin Reserves Privately?

So I’ve been thinking about this whole proof of reserves thing. Critics keep saying that Bitcoin proxies like MSTR don't show public addresses. But they're audited by big names like KPMG, right? I mean, wouldn't they mess up their reputation? Still, I want a way to prove the funds are actually there.

Totally get that. Just search up bitcoin provisions or something. Taproot is a solid option for private and efficient solvency proofs.

Yeah I get the point, but I wouldn’t trust auditors much. Dealt with some sketchy professionals in court. They can easily attach their names to shady stuff if the conman plays their cards right.

Right, but we can actually prove ownership of a UTXO without revealing much. There are ways like using anonymous tokens or taproot-ring signatures.

I was struggling to find a user-friendly service for this. Just came across papers, nothing usable. Strategy is looking for this too. They hold a ton of BTC, so they need something secure and reliable.

I asked something similar before, and honestly, the responses were low quality. People thought FTX was a safe bet too. You can bribe anyone if they want to save face.

KPMG is a big name, but I’m skeptical. There’s always the risk they could fudge the numbers with Strategy. Just look at the Enron scandal.

Yeah, Arkham’s registry isn’t official. Just estimates based on some past sales from Saylor. Plus, there are missing coins. They gotta sort out this FUD about fake coins.

You make a good point. MSTR goes through intense audits and KPMG wouldn’t want to ruin their name. But honestly, in Bitcoin, we should be able to verify things for ourselves.

In theory, it’s feasible to create a system that proves Bitcoin holdings without exposing sensitive addresses. Merkle proofs could work, for example.

I doubt you can build a live connection for proofs like that without risking too much. A web interface would be useless when companies are reachable in simpler ways.

Yes, it’s possible to do the proofs, but it’s tricky.

Can’t trust any firm, no matter how reputable. Look at Arthur Andersen’s fall when they got caught in the Enron mess.

Sure, but some real users say it's possible. You can’t just trust AI for everything. Cryptographers would explain how to validate data behind the hashes safely.

AI can be handy to simplify tech stuff, but I’m not a coder either. Just ran some basic courses back in college. Still, what I know is that there are better ways to link transactions to identities.

Yeah, I freaked out too with AI info. It’s easy to spot AI errors if you know what to look for. Merkle trees can show hashes but don’t reveal specific details about transactions.