- Q: What is Bitcoin Puzzle Quest?
A: Bitcoin Puzzle Quest (BPQ for short) is a puzzle-hunting app that lets you generate random (or
sequential) keys and test and match them against the famous Bitcoin Puzzle address list - entirely
offline, on your own iOS device.
- Q: How are the puzzle levels structured?
A: The challenge is divided into 160 levels (originally 256), with each level using a key range that is twice as large as the previous one. For example:
- Level 1:
2⁰ ≤ key < 2¹ (only 1 possible key)
- Level 2:
2¹ ≤ key < 2²
- Level 3:
2² ≤ key < 2³
- ...
- Level 160:
2¹⁵⁹ ≤ key < 2¹⁶⁰
Each higher level doubles the size of the key space, making it exponentially harder to solve. To reflect this, the puzzle creator(s) placed increasing amounts of Bitcoin in higher levels as added incentive.
- Q: How do I start playing Bitcoin Puzzle Quest?A: Open the app and start testing
keys by choosing your difficulty level and number of tries and hit the 'Go' button.
- Q: What does “difficulty level” mean?
A: The difficulty level defines the bit-size, i.e. the bit-length of the secret key. The 26-bit puzzle contains 225 possible
keys (≈33 million); the 160-bit puzzle, the "beast", contains 2159 (≈7.3 x 1047). Bigger bits =
bigger needle in the haystack.
- Q: Are there in-app purchases?A: Yes, there is an in-app purchase to run continuous
scans, which also brings sequential scans.
- Q: Are there ads?A: No, there is no ads at the moment. Enjoy the game without any
distractions.
- Q: Is this mining Bitcoin?
A: No. Mining secures the Bitcoin network by hashing block headers; our app merely guesses private keys
inside predefined ranges to see if any unlock the funded puzzle addresses. Think “lottery scratch-off,”
not “industrial crypto mine.”
- Q: How likely am I to win?
A: The remaining puzzles are still astronomically hard. Low-bit ranges (e.g. 25 bits) can be
replayed for experimenting and learning; high-bit ranges (100+ bits) are purely for the
thrill. We highlight the lowest unsolved in the difficulty level picker — your “best bad odds,” so to
speak. To estimate your personal chance, we've added the ratio of the number of keys tried by the total number of keys in that range for each puzzle.
- Q: How do I claim BTC if I find a winning key?
A: Congratulations! If you have successfully generated a private key that matches one of the publicly known and still-funded puzzle addresses,
you have solved a legendary cryptographic challenge!
Managing private keys and moving cryptocurrency can be risky, so Bitcoin Puzzle Quest does not provide financial, legal, or operational instructions.
We do offer a short, informational overview to explain the general concepts involved:
→ Understanding How BTC Can Be Claimed.
For broader community discussion, many puzzle hunters reference the long-running forum thread on Bitcointalk.
- Q: How have some high-bit difficulty levels already been solved?
A: The puzzle creator(s) left a "small" clue by making an outgoing transaction from those addresses, which reveals the public key.
That hint cuts the number of possible keys to try in half. Using this extra information, puzzle hunters apply specialized search techniques to recover the private keys more quickly.
- Q: Why can't BPQ keep scanning in the background?
A: Your device suspends nearly all CPU-intensive work when an app is backgrounded or the screen locks.
Continuous Mode runs only while the app is in the foreground and the device is awake (e.g., charging with
Auto-Lock disabled).
- Q: What is Continuous Mode and do I need it?
A: Continuous Mode is a one-time in-app purchase that automates the “Go!” button and adds sequential scanning. Manual tapping and batch modes remain free—perfect if you prefer the DIY “robot finger.”
Features comparison:
| Scenario | Free Mode | Continuous Mode |
|---|
| Single/batch taps | ✔️ | ✔️ |
| Sequential scanning | — | ✔️ |
| Auto‑tapping while you sip coffee | — | ✔️ |
- Q: Is Continuous Mode a subscription?
A: No. Continuous Mode is a one-time in-app purchase that permanently unlocks continuous and sequential scanning on your Apple ID for this app, subject to Apple's usual App Store rules.
- Q: I tried to upgrade to Continuous Mode but it does not work. What can I do?
A: Continuous Mode is sold through Apple's in-app purchase system. If the upgrade button does not work, or the purchase fails, please try the following:
- Make sure you are signed in with a valid Apple ID and that your payment method is up to date.
- Check that in-app purchases are allowed in Settings on your device.
- Ensure you have a stable internet connection and try again after a few minutes.
- If the App Store shows a specific error message, follow the link in that message or visit Apple Support and check your purchase history.
If you still cannot complete the purchase, please contact us with screenshots of any error messages so we can help you investigate.
- Q: Is my data private?
A: Yes. Found keys and puzzle/key-attempt counters are stored locally in UserDefaults.
Nothing leaves your device. If join Game Center to compete against the worlwide hunters, the attempt counts will be shared
to rank you in global leaderboards.
- Q: Does BPQ use proprietary cryptography?
A: No. Only open, standard algorithms—secp256k1 (ECDSA), SHA-256, and RIPEMD-160—as specified
by IETF/ISO are utilized to compute Bitcoin addresses from private keys.
- Q: Why is my device heating up?
A: Generating tons of keys per minute taxes the CPU. For marathon runs, keep your device on a charger,
use Low Power Mode (it only affects screen refresh), and give it breaks if it gets too warm.
- Q: Does BPQ have a mini-game?
A: Absolutely! Double-tap the treasure-chest icon on the main screen to unlock a cheeky sliding-puzzle
Easter egg—because every epic quest deserves a hidden side quest.
- Q: Can I run Bitcoin Puzzle Quest on Windows, Linux, or Android?
A: Today Bitcoin Puzzle Quest is built and supported for Apple platforms only, with the main focus on iOS.
On macOS with Apple silicon, the game can run via the universal build in the App Store.
We do not currently offer a Windows, Linux, or Android version, and we cannot promise if or when versions for other platforms will be available.
- Q: Does BPQ use my GPU or support powerful desktop graphics cards?
A: No. BPQ currently runs on the CPU of your iOS or Apple silicon device and is designed as an offline, on-device puzzle experience.
There is no support for external GPUs, desktop GPUs, or dedicated mining hardware.
- Q: Will there be Android / macOS / Apple Watch versions?
A: Android is under exploration (no ETA). macOS on Apple silicon works via the universal build. Apple Watch support is on our roadmap as a remote dashboard.
- Q: Will you add a cloud or “rented GPU” option for faster scanning?
A: No, not at this time. Bitcoin Puzzle Quest is designed as a local, offline game that runs on your own Apple device. We do not provide remote GPU servers or cloud computing resources, and we cannot offer a timeline or promise for such a feature in the future.
- Q: What do I do if the game crashes?A: Restart the game and ensure your
device's OS is up to date. Your discovered keys are saved on your device.
- Q: Can I play on multiple devices?A: Yes, you can play on as many devices as
you wish. However, any found keys are saved per device.
- Q: I found a bug or have a feature idea—how do I contact you?
A: Email info @ mathricks.com with your app version, iOS version, device model, and reproduction steps.
Screenshots help!
- Q: Is this legal?
A: Solving public Bitcoin puzzles is legal in most jurisdictions. Be sure to check local laws on digital assets and taxes.
- Q: Where can I learn more about this Bitcoin Puzzle?
A: Visit the community forum topic at bitcointalk.org and the helpful websites like privatekeys.pw or btcpuzzle.info for historical data,
solved levels, and tips. Reddit's r/Bitcoin and r/cryptocurrency also discuss current puzzles.
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