Read Claiming Bitcoin’s Bug Bounty.
In 2013, the Bitcoin developers were frustrated by a data corruption issue: Mac OS X users may find that they cannot open the database for storing the blockchain (i.e., the ledger that records financial transactions in Bitcoin). The issue was so serious that the community offered a bounty of more than $10,000 for a fix. If you know systems programming well, you may claim a bounty next time (e.g., Google’s and Microsoft’s bounty programs).
As you read the above link (and additional links from that page), try to distinguish solid technical facts from people’s guess and inaccurate statements. You might find it useful to note the places where you agree or disagree with their analysis. The links from the “Further readings” below provide more accurate information on the issue. You are encouraged to use google, stack overflow, or any other source to find the answer to the following questions.
Turn in your answers as part of Exercise 6.
We are not going to discuss the technical details of the Bitcoin system. If you want to learn more about Bitcoin, read Satoshi Nakamoto’s original paper Bitcoin: A Peer-to-Peer Electronic Cash System or take CSE 452.