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{{ _("How is Taler related to Bitcoin or Blockchains?") }}

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Taler does not use any Blockchain technology or Bitcoin directly. Taler is not based on proof-of-work or any other distributed consensus mechanism. Instead Taler is based on blind signatures.

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It would be possible, however, to withdraw coins denominated in Bitcoin into a Taler wallet (with an appropriate exchange), which would give some benefits over plain Bitcoin, such as instant confirmation times.

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{{ _("Where is the balance in my wallet stored?") }}

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Your wallet stores digital coins and thus ultimately your computer holds your balance. The exchange keeps funds matching all unspent coins in an escrow bank account.

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{{ _("What if my wallet is lost?") }}

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Since the digital coins of value in your wallet are anonymized, the exchange can not assist you in recovering a lost or stolen wallet. Just like with a physical wallet for cash, you are responsible for keeping it safe.

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The risk of losing a wallet can be mitigated by making backups or keeping the balance reasonably low.

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{{ _("What if my computer is hacked?") }}

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In case of a compromise of one of your devices, an attacker can spend coins from your wallet. Checking your balance might reveal to you that your device has been compromised.

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{{ _("Can I send money to my friend with Taler?") }}

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If your friend provides goods or services for you in exchange for a payment, they can easily set up a Taler merchant and receive the payment in their bank account.

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Future versions of the Taler wallet may allow exchanging coins among friends directly as well.

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{{ _("How does Taler handle payments in different currencies?") }}

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Taler wallets can store digital coins corresponding to multiple different currencies such as the Euro, US Dollars or Bitcoins.

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Taler currently does not offer conversion between currencies.

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{{ _("How does Taler protect my privacy?") }}

{% trans %}

Your wallet stores digital coins that are blindly signed by an exchange. The use of a blind signature protects your privacy as it prevents the exchange from knowing which coin it signed for which customer.

{% endtrans %}
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