The Lost Bitcoin: Chapter 5 - Recovering Peter's Missing Keys

Where Olivia meets Ana and Mike and they explain to her how they recovered Peter’s missing keys.

When cryptography meets quantum computer, and cryopreserved bodies hide secrets worth millions it only takes one bad actor to unleash a thrilling action. Coauthored with ChatGPT based on my prompts. The technology and historical events in this novel are real.

Previous chapters can be found here.

Olivia steps out of the taxi and looks around, taking in the sights and sounds of the bustling university campus. She clutches her suitcase tightly as she makes her way toward the laboratory building, following the directions given to her by the driver.

As she approaches the entrance to the lab, she sees a young woman waving energetically at her. This must be Ana, she thinks to herself with a smile.

“Olivia! Welcome to our lab!” Ana exclaims as she rushes over to greet her. She envelops Olivia in a warm hug and takes her suitcase from her. “I’m so glad you made it! We’ve been looking forward to your arrival.”

Olivia can’t help but feel a sense of comfort and belonging in Ana’s embrace. She has been looking forward to this moment and is eager to get to know her and her work better. Ana leads her into the lab, chatting animatedly about their work and the exciting new developments they’ve made in the past few weeks. Olivia is struck by the friendly atmosphere of the lab with everybody smiling or bowing at them as they walk to the meeting room

As they walk through the lab, Ana introduces her to the rest of the team, who all welcome her with warm smiles and friendly greetings. Olivia feels a sense of excitement and anticipation building inside of her. Ana takes her to a meeting room and offers her a place to sit.

Ana: I’ve heard so much about you from Peter.

Olivia: Hopefully good things! Thanks for welcoming me to your lab, Ana.

Ana: And you’re even more gorgeous in person. I love your hair!

Olivia (Blushing): Thank you, Ana! You’re looking great yourself.

Ana: Thank you, but you definitely outshine me with your natural beauty.

Olivia: That’s very kind of you to say, thank you.

Ana: My pleasure. So, I understand you’re interested in learning more about quantum computers?

Olivia: Yes, I am. I’m really curious about your work. I’ve heard that you and Mike were able to use a quantum computer to recover the keys for Peter’s crypto wallet. Can you tell me more about that?

Ana’s eyes lit up as she began to explain.

It was quite a breakthrough for us. You see, classical computers struggle with certain encryption algorithms, but with a quantum computer, we were able to use its unique properties to factor large numbers much faster.

Quantum computers have the potential to solve certain mathematical problems much faster than classical computers. In the case of recovering crypto keys, quantum computers can be used to factor large numbers more efficiently, which is a crucial step in breaking encryption algorithms.

The most common encryption algorithm used for crypto wallets is RSA, which relies on the fact that it is difficult to factor large numbers into their prime factors. The private key for an RSA encryption is derived from the product of two large prime numbers, and it is computationally infeasible to determine these prime factors from the public key.

However, quantum computers can use quantum algorithms, such as Shor’s algorithm, to factor large numbers exponentially faster than classical computers. This means that a quantum computer can determine the prime factors of a large number much more quickly, allowing it to recover the private key and access the encrypted data.

Olivia listened intently, impressed by the solution that Ana and Mike had come up with. “That’s amazing,” she said.

Ana kept explaining:

Recovering the keys for a crypto wallet using a quantum computer is a complex process that requires additional code to test every possible key pair against the crypto wallet. This is because Shor’s algorithm, only provides a faster way to factor large numbers and determine the prime factors that make up the private key. It doesn’t directly give you the private key itself.

Therefore, in order to recover the keys for the crypto wallet, the code would need to test every possible combination of prime factors until it finds the correct private key that unlocks the crypto wallet. This process can be time-consuming and requires a lot of computational power.

In the case for Peter we added code to the quantum algorithm that would test every possible combination of prime factors until it found the correct private key.

Once a successful combination had been found, the algorithm would then send a text message to one of our phones, informing us that the keys had been recovered.

This added layer of automation and notification allowed us to quickly and easily know when the keys have been recovered without having to constantly monitor the progress of the algorithm. It also ensured that we could take immediate action to secure the recovered funds once the keys have been found.

Olivia: Ana, I have to say, I’m really impressed by the way you and Mike were able to solve the problem with the crypto wallet. It’s amazing what you can do with a quantum computer.

Ana: Thank you, Olivia! We’re always striving to find new and innovative solutions to difficult problems. And we’re lucky to have such a powerful tool at our disposal in the form of a quantum computer.

Olivia: I was wondering, would it be possible for me to meet Mike? I’d love to pick his brain and learn more about his work.

Ana: Of course! In fact, we were just planning on grabbing dinner together later tonight. Why don’t you join us? We’ll have a chance to chat more about our work and you can get to know Mike a little better.

Olivia: That sounds great! Thank you, Ana. I’d really looking forward to join you for dinner.

Ana: By the way, Olivia, with the finder’s fee that we received from Peter for recovering his crypto wallet keys, we’re planning to go on a holiday to a nice remote location. It’s a great way for us to unwind and recharge after all the hard work we’ve been putting in.

Olivia: That sounds amazing! Where are you planning to go?

Ana: We’re still trying to decide between a few options, but we’re thinking about either a beach resort or a secluded mountain cabin. We just want to get away from it all and enjoy some peace and quiet for a while.

Olivia: You know, Ana, I have the perfect place in mind for your holiday. It’s a secluded mountain cabin, far away from civilization and with no internet. It’s the perfect place to unwind and get away from it all.

Ana: That sounds amazing, Olivia! I’ve been looking for a place like that. Do you have any specific recommendations?

Olivia: As a matter of fact, I’m planning to go there myself. Depending on the timing, we could even go together. I’ve been there before and it’s the perfect escape from the hustle and bustle of everyday life.

Ana: That would be fantastic! I would love to join you. Let’s plan on it and make sure that our schedules align.

Olivia: I’ll start making the arrangements and get back to you with the details. I’m sure we’ll have a great time together and come back refreshed and rejuvenated.

Ana: I couldn’t agree more. Thanks for the recommendation, Olivia. Let’s talk to Mike about the details over dinner tonight.