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174 | <a href="http://lists.gnu.org/mailman/listinfo/taler">http://lists.gnu.org/mailman/listinfo/taler</a>.</p> | 174 | <a href="http://lists.gnu.org/mailman/listinfo/taler">http://lists.gnu.org/mailman/listinfo/taler</a>.</p> |
175 | </div> | 175 | </div> |
176 | </div> | 176 | </div> |
177 | 177 | <div class="col-lg-12"> | |
178 | <h2 lang="en" id="overview">Taler system overview</h1> | ||
179 | <h2 lang="de">Das Taler-System im Überblick</h1> | ||
180 | <h2 lang="fr" note="outdated"></h2> | ||
181 | <h2 lang="it" note="outdated"></h2> | ||
182 | <p lang="en">The Taler system consists of protocols and free software | ||
183 | implementations between a number of actors as illustrated in the | ||
184 | illustration on the right. Typical transactions involve the following steps: | ||
185 | </p> | ||
186 | <p lang="de" note="outdated"></p> | ||
187 | <p lang="fr" note="outdated"></p> | ||
188 | <p lang="it" note="outdated"></p> | ||
189 | <p> | ||
190 | <img src="images/system.svg" alt="system overview" style="float: right; margin: 50px 5px 5px 5px;" width="50%"> | ||
191 | <ol> | ||
192 | <li lang="en">A customer instructs his <b>bank</b> to transfer funds | ||
193 | from his account to the Taler mint (top left). In the subject of | ||
194 | the transaction, he includes an authentication token from his | ||
195 | electronic <b>wallet</b>. In Taler terminology, the customer | ||
196 | creates a reserve at the mint.</li> | ||
197 | <li lang="de" note="outdated"></li> | ||
198 | <li lang="fr" note="outdated"></li> | ||
199 | <li lang="it" note="outdated"></li> | ||
200 | <li lang="en">Once the mint has received the transfer, it allows the | ||
201 | customer's electronic wallet to <b>withdraw</b> electronic coins. | ||
202 | The electronic coins are digital representations of the original | ||
203 | transfer. It is important to note that the mint does not learn | ||
204 | the "serial numbers" of the coins in this process, so it cannot | ||
205 | tell later which customer purchased what at which merchant. | ||
206 | The use of Taler does not change the currency or the | ||
207 | total value of the funds (except for fees which the mint may | ||
208 | charge for the service).</li> | ||
209 | <li lang="de" note="outdated"></li> | ||
210 | <li lang="fr" note="outdated"></li> | ||
211 | <li lang="it" note="outdated"></li> | ||
212 | <li lang="en">Once the customer has the digital coins in his wallet, | ||
213 | the wallet can be used to <b>spend</b> the coins with merchant | ||
214 | portals that support the Taler | ||
215 | payment system and accept the respective mint as a business | ||
216 | partner (bottom arrow). This creates a digital contract signed | ||
217 | by the customer's coins and the merchant. Assuming courts accept | ||
218 | cryptographic signatures, the customer can later use this digitally | ||
219 | signed contract in a court of law to prove the exact terms of | ||
220 | the contract and that he paid the respective amount. The customer | ||
221 | does not learn the banking details of the merchant, and Taler | ||
222 | does not require the merchant to learn the identity of the | ||
223 | customer. Naturally, the customer can spend any fraction of his | ||
224 | digital coins (the system takes care of customers getting | ||
225 | change).</li> | ||
226 | <li lang="de" note="outdated"></li> | ||
227 | <li lang="fr" note="outdated"></li> | ||
228 | <li lang="it" note="outdated"></li> | ||
229 | <li lang="en">Merchants receiving digital coins <b>deposits</b> | ||
230 | the respective receipts that resulted from the contract signing | ||
231 | with the customer at the mint to redeem the coins. | ||
232 | The deposit step does not reveal the learn the details of the | ||
233 | contract between the customer and the merchant or the identity | ||
234 | of the customer to the mint in any way. However, the mint | ||
235 | does learn the identity of the merchant via the provided bank | ||
236 | routing information. The merchant can, for example when | ||
237 | compelled by the state for taxation, provide information linking | ||
238 | the individual deposit to the respective contract signed by the | ||
239 | customer. Thus, the mint's database allows the state to enforce | ||
240 | that merchants pay applicable taxes (and do not engage in | ||
241 | illegal contracts).</li> | ||
242 | <li lang="de" note="outdated"></li> | ||
243 | <li lang="fr" note="outdated"></li> | ||
244 | <li lang="it" note="outdated"></li> | ||
245 | <li lang="en">Finally, the mint transfers funds corresponding to | ||
246 | the digital coins redeemed by the merchants to the merchant's | ||
247 | <b>bank</b> account. The mint may combine multiple small | ||
248 | transactions into one larger bank transfer. | ||
249 | The merchant can query the mint | ||
250 | about the relationship between the bank transfers and the | ||
251 | individual claims that were deposited.</li> | ||
252 | <li lang="de" note="outdated"></li> | ||
253 | <li lang="fr" note="outdated"></li> | ||
254 | <li lang="it" note="outdated"></li> | ||
255 | <li lang="en">Most importantly, the mint keeps cryptographic | ||
256 | proofs that allow it to demonstrate that it is operating | ||
257 | correctly to third parties. The system requires an external | ||
258 | <b>auditor</b>, such as a government-appointed financial regulatory | ||
259 | body, to frequently verify the mint's databases and check that | ||
260 | its bank balance matches the total value of the remaining coins | ||
261 | in circulation.</li> | ||
262 | <li lang="de" note="outdated"></li> | ||
263 | <li lang="fr" note="outdated"></li> | ||
264 | <li lang="it" note="outdated"></li> | ||
265 | <li lang="en">Without the auditor, the mint operators could | ||
266 | steal funds they are holding in reserve. Customers and merchants | ||
267 | cannot cheat each other or the mint. If any party's computers | ||
268 | are compromised, the financial damage is limited to the | ||
269 | respective party and proportional to the funds they | ||
270 | have in circulation during the period of the compromise.</li> | ||
271 | <li lang="de" note="outdated"></li> | ||
272 | <li lang="fr" note="outdated"></li> | ||
273 | <li lang="it" note="outdated"></li> | ||
274 | </ol> | ||
275 | </p> | ||
276 | </div> | ||
178 | <!--# include file="common/footer.inc" --> | 277 | <!--# include file="common/footer.inc" --> |
179 | </div> <!-- /container --> | 278 | </div> <!-- /container --> |
180 | </body> | 279 | </body> |