An assassination market is a prediction market where any party can place a bet (using anonymous electronic money and pseudonymous remailers) on the date of death of a given individual, and collect a payoff if they "guess" the date accurately. This would incentivise assassination of individuals because the assassin, knowing when the action would take place, could profit by making an accurate bet on the time of the subject's death. Because the payoff is for accurately picking the date rather than performing the action of the assassin, it is substantially more difficult to assign criminal liability for the assassination.[1]
A screenshot from the Tor Assassination Market of Ben Bernanke, former chairman of the US Federal Reserve and the prize money of the equivalent of about 110,000 USD (as of May 2020)
Early uses of the terms "assassination market" and "market for assassinations" can be found (in both positive and negative lights) in 1994's "The Cyphernomicon"[2] by Timothy C. May, a cypherpunk. The concept and its potential effects are also referred to as assassination politics, a term popularized by Jim Bell in his 1995–96 essay of the same name.[3][4]
Early in part 1, Jim Bell describes the idea as:[5]
The organization set up to manage such a system could, presumably, make up a list of people who had seriously violated the NAP (Non-aggression Principle), but who would not see justice in our courts due to the fact that their actions were done at the behest of the government. Associated with each name would be a dollar figure, the total amount of money the organization has received as a contribution, which is the amount they would give for correctly "predicting" the person's death, presumably naming the exact date. "Guessers" would formulate their "guess" into a file, encrypt it with the organization's public key, then transmit it to the organization, possibly using methods as untraceable as putting a floppy disk in an envelope and tossing it into a mailbox, but more likely either a cascade of encrypted anonymous remailers, or possibly public-access Internet locations, such as terminals at a local library, etc. In order to prevent such a system from becoming simply a random unpaid lottery, in which people can randomly guess a name and date (hoping that lightning would strike, as it occasionally does), it would be necessary to deter such random guessing by requiring the "guessers" to include with their "guess" encrypted and untraceable "digital cash," in an amount sufficiently high to make random guessing impractical.
Bell then goes on to further specify the protocol of the assassination market in more detail. In the final part of his essay, Bell posits a market that is largely non-anonymous. He contrasts this version with the one previously described. Carl Johnson's attempt to popularise the concept of assassination politics appeared to rely on the earlier version.[6] There followed an attempt to popularise the second in 2001 that is ongoing today.[7][8]
Technologies like Tor and Bitcoin have enabled online assassination markets as described in parts one to nine of Assassination Politics.
Assassination Market websiteEdit
The first prediction market entitled 'Assassination Market' was created by a self-described crypto-anarchist in 2013.[9] Utilising Tor to hide the site's location and Bitcoin based bounties and prediction technology, the site lists bounties on US PresidentBarack Obama, economist Ben Bernanke and former justice minister of SwedenBeatrice Ask.[10] In 2015 the site was suspected to be defunct, but the deposited Bitcoins were cashed out in 2018.[11]
^Broiles, Greg (1999-08-27). . Archived from the original on March 19, 2016. Retrieved August 22, 2014.
^McCullagh, Declan (2001-05-15). . Wired News. Archived from the original on November 5, 2012. Retrieved August 22, 2014.
^Hettinga, R. A. (2003-07-07). "Online threats target Denver investigators". Retrieved August 22, 2014.
^Greenberg, Andy (2013-11-18). "Meet the 'Assassination Market' creator who's crowdfunding murder with Bitcoins". Forbes. Retrieved November 19, 2013.
^Bartlett, Jamie (22 July 2015). "Inside the Digital Underworld". Retrieved 22 July 2015.
^Merchant, Brian (January 2020). "Click Here to Kill". Harper's Magazine. ISSN 0017-789X. Retrieved 2019-12-24.
Further readingEdit
Hess, Patrick (2002). Cyberterrorism And Information War. Anmol Publications Pvt. Limited. ISBN978-81-261-1161-9.
Thomas, Douglas; Loader, Brian (2000). Cybercrime: Law Enforcement, Security and Surveillance in the Information Age. Routledge. ISBN978-0-415-21326-4.
Sukumaran, R. (2004). "Cryptology, digital assassination and the terrorism futures markets" (PDF). Strategic Analysis. 28 (2): 219–236. doi:10.1080/09700160408450129. S2CID 154847137.
Clarke, R.; Dempsey, G.; Ooi, C. N.; O'Connor, R. F. (16–17 February 1998). Technological Aspects of Internet Crime Prevention. Proc. Conf. "Internet Crime". Australian Institute for Criminology, Melbourne University.
assassination, market, assassination, market, prediction, market, where, party, place, using, anonymous, electronic, money, pseudonymous, remailers, date, death, given, individual, collect, payoff, they, guess, date, accurately, this, would, incentivise, assas. An assassination market is a prediction market where any party can place a bet using anonymous electronic money and pseudonymous remailers on the date of death of a given individual and collect a payoff if they guess the date accurately This would incentivise assassination of individuals because the assassin knowing when the action would take place could profit by making an accurate bet on the time of the subject s death Because the payoff is for accurately picking the date rather than performing the action of the assassin it is substantially more difficult to assign criminal liability for the assassination 1 Contents 1 History 2 Assassination Market website 3 See also 4 References 5 Further reading 6 External linksHistory Edit A screenshot from the Tor Assassination Market of Ben Bernanke former chairman of the US Federal Reserve and the prize money of the equivalent of about 110 000 USD as of May 2020 Early uses of the terms assassination market and market for assassinations can be found in both positive and negative lights in 1994 s The Cyphernomicon 2 by Timothy C May a cypherpunk The concept and its potential effects are also referred to as assassination politics a term popularized by Jim Bell in his 1995 96 essay of the same name 3 4 Early in part 1 Jim Bell describes the idea as 5 The organization set up to manage such a system could presumably make up a list of people who had seriously violated the NAP Non aggression Principle but who would not see justice in our courts due to the fact that their actions were done at the behest of the government Associated with each name would be a dollar figure the total amount of money the organization has received as a contribution which is the amount they would give for correctly predicting the person s death presumably naming the exact date Guessers would formulate their guess into a file encrypt it with the organization s public key then transmit it to the organization possibly using methods as untraceable as putting a floppy disk in an envelope and tossing it into a mailbox but more likely either a cascade of encrypted anonymous remailers or possibly public access Internet locations such as terminals at a local library etc In order to prevent such a system from becoming simply a random unpaid lottery in which people can randomly guess a name and date hoping that lightning would strike as it occasionally does it would be necessary to deter such random guessing by requiring the guessers to include with their guess encrypted and untraceable digital cash in an amount sufficiently high to make random guessing impractical Bell then goes on to further specify the protocol of the assassination market in more detail In the final part of his essay Bell posits a market that is largely non anonymous He contrasts this version with the one previously described Carl Johnson s attempt to popularise the concept of assassination politics appeared to rely on the earlier version 6 There followed an attempt to popularise the second in 2001 that is ongoing today 7 8 Technologies like Tor and Bitcoin have enabled online assassination markets as described in parts one to nine of Assassination Politics Assassination Market website EditThe first prediction market entitled Assassination Market was created by a self described crypto anarchist in 2013 9 Utilising Tor to hide the site s location and Bitcoin based bounties and prediction technology the site lists bounties on US President Barack Obama economist Ben Bernanke and former justice minister of Sweden Beatrice Ask 10 In 2015 the site was suspected to be defunct but the deposited Bitcoins were cashed out in 2018 11 See also EditDark web Darknet market Dead pool Policy Analysis Market TontinePopular cultureThe Assassination Bureau Ltd an unfinished novel by Jack London The Visit Hated in the Nation an episode of Black Mirror The Ankh Morpork Assassins GuildReferences Edit Harkin James 2009 Lost in Cyburbia How Life on the Net Has Created a Life of Its Own Knopf Canada p 239 ISBN 978 0 307 37398 4 May Timothy C 1994 09 10 The Cyphernomicon Cypherpunks FAQ and More Version 0 666 Cypherpunks to pp Sections 4 amp 16 Archived from the original on May 14 2011 Retrieved February 28 2011 Bell Jim 1997 04 03 Assassination Politics PDF Infowar Archived PDF from the original on 27 January 2011 Retrieved February 28 2011 McCullagh Declan 2000 04 14 Crypto Convict Won t Recant Wired News Archived from the original on October 24 2012 Retrieved January 14 2008 Jim Bell Assassination Politics Broiles Greg 1999 08 27 CJ files Archived from the original on March 19 2016 Retrieved August 22 2014 McCullagh Declan 2001 05 15 Online Cincy Cop Threats Probed Wired News Archived from the original on November 5 2012 Retrieved August 22 2014 Hettinga R A 2003 07 07 Online threats target Denver investigators Retrieved August 22 2014 Greenberg Andy 2013 11 18 Meet the Assassination Market creator who s crowdfunding murder with Bitcoins Forbes Retrieved November 19 2013 Bartlett Jamie 22 July 2015 Inside the Digital Underworld Retrieved 22 July 2015 Merchant Brian January 2020 Click Here to Kill Harper s Magazine ISSN 0017 789X Retrieved 2019 12 24 Further reading EditHess Patrick 2002 Cyberterrorism And Information War Anmol Publications Pvt Limited ISBN 978 81 261 1161 9 Thomas Douglas Loader Brian 2000 Cybercrime Law Enforcement Security and Surveillance in the Information Age Routledge ISBN 978 0 415 21326 4 Sukumaran R 2004 Cryptology digital assassination and the terrorism futures markets PDF Strategic Analysis 28 2 219 236 doi 10 1080 09700160408450129 S2CID 154847137 Clarke R Dempsey G Ooi C N O Connor R F 16 17 February 1998 Technological Aspects of Internet Crime Prevention Proc Conf Internet Crime Australian Institute for Criminology Melbourne University External links EditJim Bell s Assassination Politics essay at the Internet Archive Mirror The Usenet discussion containing the initial publication of the first part of Assassination Politics at Google Groups Academic discussion of assassination markets from an anarchist perspective at the Internet ArchivePortals Internet Anarchism Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Assassination market amp oldid 1074596272, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
