On: How Memorizing “$19.05” Can Help You Outsmart the MTA

[tomp]

That's a rather bad argument; that's like saying you should only be able to use cash that is registered to an address, to prevent people from stealing it.

[shawabawa3 → tomp]

I don't understand your comment.

You don't have to register your card. If it is unregistered and someone steals it there is nothing you can do to recover any money on the card.

You can choose to register it, in which case you can transfer the balance to a new card in the case it is lost or stolen.

[randyrand → tomp]

That actually sounds like a decent idea.

Bitcoin is already this way. All "cash" is associated with an address. To use that cash you need to be the owner of that address.

[schoen → randyrand]

Pretty different senses of "address", though! A street address or a cryptographic key.

[randyrand → schoen]

Yeah, it's an interesting comparison. For the Oyster card, you just need proof that you live where you say you do. For bit coin you just need to not lose your key. Similar purpose. Different execution.

note: lose as in someone steals it.If it's totally lost the money is gone, as we know.