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The following cipher is moderately difficult but not impossible. It is (IMO) probably easily solvable for an experienced professional code breaker.

53819 08278 95739 07473 82867 47390 72908 67882 82867 67390 89788 47685 68478
69076 97708 09781 81898 97789 83788 18383 90707 38399 70747 28678 74497 83296
79779 97390 83739 97690 83908 29379 74738 47894 90399 89173 96859 47772 91688
08279 93798 09777 83739 27396 94737 28290 81757 68976 99903 07679 73866 30000
89947 37390 93869 37983 83907 47383 75799 39088 90799 08973 77749 43164
39097 75799 08681 73839 58673 90789 07473 73769 67390 81827 08196 92327
76909 09574 74837 07586 82739 79773 89787 07586 72789 39093 82727 89337
37870 73818 37499 78829 05578 83788 39473 81759 69673 89817 37499 70856
86737 89081 90388 09773 75937 17573 90758 07882 74907 89790 90496 23165
45090 96839 49076 82828 97896 89769 67397 90967 27889 95738 34965 52477
38759 89093 79779 18573 90767 07579 90847 97290 89908 47974 75493 18261
07882 79778 08681 90767 97790 90819 47997 70779 57375 73907 36279 32499
90819 98390 94739 97790 86819 09673 90758 58978 90758 07795 37873 54443

Hint:

I don't want to throw you off but, I do not want to give too much away so, I will say that to get the complete answer you will have to solve the entire pad.

Incentive:

There is AU\$50 dollars worth of Bitcoin (AU\$50 at the time of setting this up) hidden in the full correct answer. UPDATE: The Bitcoin have already been claimed.

Inspired by the unsolved D'Agapeyeff cipher.

Clue #1:

It is easily possible to make this type of puzzle impossible to reach for humans but, I resisted eventually.

Clue #2:

If you think that you have the full solution, you may need this to check.

Clue #3:

If you read through all of the resources linked so far you may find a couple more hints.

Clue #4:

Every time I move my keyboard I get a different answer.

Clue# 5:

If Clue# 2 didn't reveal enough to check your answer already, there is a complete Q/A here.

Clue# 6:

After you solve Clue# 1 you will have a new view.

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  • 9
    $\begingroup$ This post is being discussed on Puzzling.Meta: Are we allowed to offer prizes for solving puzzles? $\endgroup$
    – Rubio
    Mar 24, 2018 at 12:41
  • 2
    $\begingroup$ What is the difference between the hint and the clue? Also, who are you? (don't answer that, I just wanted to make it rhyme.) $\endgroup$
    – Azync
    Mar 28, 2018 at 17:12
  • $\begingroup$ @Azync Courteously, one is a hint, the other is a clue. I do not wish to give more away here by divulging. $\endgroup$
    – Willtech
    Mar 28, 2018 at 18:24
  • $\begingroup$ Dear Willtech! Your puzzle was very interesting, but not very hard. Now I am stuck with the real puzzle. I created a blockchain account and "imported" the code from the puzzle. They say it has 0.BTC. I also didn't understand what 'import' means. Apparently, anyone can still import this key and see that it has no bitcoins, whatever it is. Have I done something wrong? $\endgroup$ Mar 29, 2018 at 0:20
  • $\begingroup$ @ThomasBlue Depending on the wallet and how it interprets the key different addresses may be generated. Clue#2 is a deliberate and specific help. You should end up with the address linked in the incentive using that clue once you get the Bitcoin part sorted, presuming your solution is correct. $\endgroup$
    – Willtech
    Mar 29, 2018 at 12:56

1 Answer 1

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Step 1: Know your sources.

Looking into Wikipedia or, at least, other discussions on the unsolved D'Agapeyeff cipher, you will find an example of similar cipher. It's a polybius square, where every letter is encrypted with two digits. As seen by the shape of the puzzle, you can understand that it should be read by columns, ending at 30000. Join it as that, than split by two's. You shall get:
53 81 96 90 76 79 77 90 82 79 89 94 73 90 97 76 90 93 78 70 86 73 74 50 90 38 75 90 78 82 90 81 90 82 78 97 70 89 73 90 93 79 83 73 90 75 79 90 95 74 73 81 88 90 81 96 83 98 90 93 79 77 89 83 90 95 73 90 97 81 83 73 90 97 77 93 86 90 86 81 74 83 73 74 99 90 38 84 90 76 79 77 90 86 81 94 73 90 74 73 81 89 89 76 90 83 73 93 79 83 73 83 90 75 86 78 82 90 97 73 82 82 81 85 73 90 76 79 77 90 82 86 79 77 89 83 90 82 73 96 83 90 75 86 73 82 73 90 55 78 75 93 79 78 96 90 76 79 77 90 86 81 94 73 90 83 78 82 93 79 94 73 74 73 83 90 78 97 97 73 83 78 81 75 73 89 76 90 75 79 90 81 90 96 73 72 90 81 83 83 74 73 82 82 90 75 79 90 74 73 89 78 73 94 73 90 75 86 73 97 90 84 74 79 97 90 75 86 78 82 90 70 74 78 94 81 75 73 90 88 73 76 90 75 86 81 75 90 78 82 90 96 79 72 90 70 77 95 89 78 82 86 73 83 99 90 39 96 89 76 90 79 96 73 90 72 78 96 96 73 74 90 72 78 89 89 90 85 73 75 90 75 86 73 90 70 74 78 91 73 99 90 30 89 73 81 82 73 90 93 89 81 78 97 90 95 73 84 79 74 73 90 70 77 95 89 78 82 86 78 96 85 90 76 79 77 74 90 81 96 82 72 73 74 99 90 49 63 49 65 75 49 33 62 79 37 87 34 76 85 74 49 74 77 72 73 86 64 31 64 92 32 78 93 37 70 85 62 31 65 52 47 71 82 61 32 49 95 44 43 68 47 88 32 96 91 68 83 00 00

Step 2: Spaces

Analyse the frequencies: 90 is met here 62 times; the next number only 42 times. Thus, assume that 90 is space (you can also see that it is distributed evenly by Ctrl-F to find 90).

Step 3: Your everyday letter-guessing.

53 81 96 _ 76 79 77 _ 82 79 89 94 73 _ 97 76 _ 93 78 70 86 73 74 50 _ 38 75 _ 78 82 _ 81 _ 82 78 97 70 89 73 _ 93 79 83 73 _ 75 79 _ 95 74 73 81 88 _ 81 96 83 98 _ 93 79 77 89 83 _ 95 73 _ 97 81 83 73 _ 97 77 93 86 _ 86 81 74 83 73 74 99 _ 38 84 _ 76 79 77 _ 86 81 94 73 _ 74 73 81 89 89 76 _ 83 73 93 79 83 73 83 _ 75 86 78 82 _ 97 73 82 82 81 85 73 _ 76 79 77 _ 82 86 79 77 89 83 _ 82 73 96 83 _ 75 86 73 82 73 _ 55 78 75 93 79 78 96 _ 76 79 77 _ 86 81 94 73 _ 83 78 82 93 79 94 73 74 73 83 _ 78 97 97 73 83 78 81 75 73 89 76 _ 75 79 _ 81 _ 96 73 72 _ 81 83 83 74 73 82 82 _ 75 79 _ 74 73 89 78 73 94 73 _ 75 86 73 97 _ 84 74 79 97 _ 75 86 78 82 _ 70 74 78 94 81 75 73 _ 88 73 76 _ 75 86 81 75 _ 78 82 _ 96 79 72 _ 70 77 95 89 78 82 86 73 83 99 _ 39 96 89 76 _ 79 96 73 _ 72 78 96 96 73 74 _ 72 78 89 89 _ 85 73 75 _ 75 86 73 _ 70 74 78 91 73 99 _ 30 89 73 81 82 73 _ 93 89 81 78 97 _ 95 73 84 79 74 73 _ 70 77 95 89 78 82 86 78 96 85 _ 76 79 77 74 _ 81 96 82 72 73 74 99 _ 49 63 49 65 75 49 33 62 79 37 87 34 76 85 74 49 74 77 72 73 86 64 31 64 92 32 78 93 37 70 85 62 31 65 52 47 71 82 61 32 49 95 44 43 68 47 88 32 96 91 68 83 00 00
I assumed that 76 79 77 was "the". It wasn't. Still, It all looks positively like text. Keep trying. The single letter 81 is certainly an "A". Then I made two steps: 1) I replaced all the symbols with frequency 1 with stars to avoid messing with them; 2) I found the word "and". Still wasn't sure about the direction. Until...
75 79 _ a _ n 73 72 _ a d d 74 73 82 82 _
Wait, isn't it...
a d d 74 73 82 82 _
Yep. This is definitely 'address'. We're getting the right way.

Step 4: The pad.

Now for the original part (I bow to WillTech here, for it is really nicely done). After deciphering all you can, you will probably get:
Can you solve my cipher? It is a simple code to break and, could be made much harder. If you have really decoded this message you should send these Bitcoin you have discovered immediately to a new address to relieve them from this private key that is now published. Only one winner will get the prize. Please claim before publishing your answer. 49634965t493362o378734ygr49ruweh6431649232ic37pg623165524771s613249b44436847k32nz68d0000
(this last part is not fully deciphered yet).
Well, remember it was a polybius square? If you actually draw it (10x10 with 0's in the end) and fill with what you have, you will get:


 *1234567890
 1__________
 2__________
 3_______IOP
 4__________
 5__C_B____?
 6__________
 7_wertyuiop
 8asdfghjkl_
 9z_cvbnm,.
 0__________
 

You should see two standard keyboard layouts, one uppercase and one lowercase. The rest is deciphered by filling in the formerly unknown uppercase letters and numbers in the grid (numbers will be in row 6).

Step 5: Just the answer.

Can you solve my cipher? It is a simple code to break and, could be made much harder. If you have really decoded this message you should send these Bitcoin you have discovered immediately to a new address to relieve them from this private key that is now published. Only one winner will get the prize. Please claim before publishing your answer. L3L5tLE2oUjRygrLruweh4Q4xWicUpg2Q5XJqs1WLbFD8JkWnz8d**

(Note: the two * at the end are from the trailing 00 00 and are not part of the bitcoin key) After some manipulations with cryptocurrency you may check the last transaction on this wallet happened about an hour ago, when I finally installed Penguin OS.

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  • $\begingroup$ Congratulations. You pay me a compliment with your suggestion. What you have chosen is also appropriate, however, I believe that changing the original puzzle once it is solved is frowned upon in this place. You can leave the grey square in if you like. $\endgroup$
    – Willtech
    Mar 30, 2018 at 20:56
  • $\begingroup$ Now, what about the clues? Your answer doesn't mention those yet. $\endgroup$
    – Willtech
    Mar 30, 2018 at 20:57
  • 1
    $\begingroup$ @Willtech It's probably safe to say that no other solvers will be inconvenienced at this point if you were to use the update to this puzzle, provided Thomas Blue makes the relevant changes to this answer to match (and since the suggestion was theirs, I presume that won't be an issue for them). Whether or not you do this is I think up to you. If you leave the original puzzle intact, though, it's appropriate now to update the surrounding text to indicate that while solving the puzzle reveals a bitcoin wallet, it is now empty. $\endgroup$
    – Rubio
    Apr 2, 2018 at 3:35
  • $\begingroup$ @Rubio A good thought to update with a note that the Bitcoin is gone. If updating with the changed cipher I would also have to update several of the pieces of information used in clues. Currently, I am quite happy with what is there. $\endgroup$
    – Willtech
    Apr 2, 2018 at 3:48

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