From: David Murray <davidm@iconz.co.nz>
Date: Thu, 11 Jan 96 01:32:38 PST
To: cypherpunks@toad.com
Subject: Some questions about ecash[tm]
Message-ID: <199601110932.WAA09988@iconz.co.nz>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain


-----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE-----

Some questions that I send into the ether in the
knowledge, or hope, that the great and the good
are listening, and will enlighten me...

(Since this exercise strikes even me as incredibly
presumptious, feel free to ignore this. [It takes
less energy than flaming. If you must flame, do
it in private email - I'll post a summary to the
list :-)])

1. Has there been any significant/in-depth coverage
of the Mark Twain Banks product in the financial/
banking press? Digicash's press file stops just
before the launch, and Digicash/Mark Twain Banks
press releases are not exactly what I'm looking for.

2. In the Digicash ecash tutorial (also referenced
from MT's website) the example is given of Alice
sending ecash to Cindy (Candy, Clarissa?). Cindy's
bank checks with Alice's bank before crediting
Cindy's wallet with the $5.00 sent.

In MT's FAQ, they refer, somewhat wistfully, to
a future where the ecash systems of different
banks may be able to interoperate.

How difficult would such interoperation be? Is this
something that is inherent/built into the Digicash
supplied bank system? Or would it require significant
changes to the way things are done?

Similarly, since the software supplied by Digicash
to MT customers seems somewhat MT specific, how
easy would it be for future ecash issuers to piggy
back on MT's customer base? How about merchants?

3. The MT ecash[tm] project is repeatedly referred
to as an experiment, a system in beta phase. Any
word on when the experiment will be over, or what
it is trying to prove/discover?



The thrust of these questions, of course, is How
easy will it be for the next eBank? And the one
after that? Is Digicash ready for the move to
multiple issuers? Does it have the resources to
assist another institution to launch ecash this
year? This month? One a month for the year?

Whatever. Too many questions that cannot possibly
be answered, even if there were answers to give...

Dm


-----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE-----
Version: 2.6.2

iQCVAwUBMPTVR1lo3j8JHzalAQG/JAP/dBNTMHdo4MP7TaIAZrKwMxt3U4fH/qsb
TipYBcS8lgEgUsD9Pu/enIzxeEs52K6ARnq1BE6V/G1jxFVbfnLmfV6t6TWqRxSM
68FH3eX0+ZBGFGzDMmvOGWaibZETfHikv55q7ZuqYrnfZ+wrIPKlF+UGiNY3lJlw
rpNkY3oBwqY=
=0g2R
-----END PGP SIGNATURE-----