The Frustrating Bitcoin Verification Process: Step by Step
As an experienced Bitcoin user, you’ve probably encountered a number of obstacles when trying to verify your wallet. One such issue is the “Bitcoin core 28.0 cannot be verified” error message. In this article, we’ll detail the steps you need to take to resolve this frustrating issue and look for alternative solutions.
The Problem: Bitcoin Core 28.0 cannot be verified
When you try to verify your Bitcoin Core (BTC) wallet with the command gpg.exe --verify SHA256SUMS.asc, you’ll get an error message stating that there are no signed data files in the format expected by GnuPG. Specifically, this is the response:
gpg: no signed data gpg: cannot hash data file: No ...
1-9. Step 1: A Brief Summary of Bitcoin Core and Verification
To help you understand why your wallet cannot be verified, let’s briefly review the process:
- Steps 0-6: You installed Bitcoin Core (BTC) from the official GitHub repository.
- Step 7: You created a new wallet using the “bitcoin-cli” command line tool.
- Step 8: You updated your Bitcoin Core to version 28.0 or later using the “bitcoin-cli update” command.
- Step 9: You ran the
gpg.exe --verify SHA256SUMS.asccommand to verify your wallet.
Why can’t I verify my wallet?
The error message “bitcoin core 28.0 cannot be verified” indicates that there are issues with the data file generated during the verification process. Here’s why:
- Bitcoin Core stores its configuration and data in a binary file format that GnuPG cannot read directly.
- The SHA256SUMS.asc file used for verification contains sensitive information about the wallet’s state, including transactions, addresses, and other key values.
Alternative solutions:
You can try the following alternative methods to resolve this issue:
Method 1: Use a different verification tool
Instead of using “gpg.exe”, consider using another GnuPG-based verification tool, such as “gpg –verify” or “bcl –verify”. You can also use third-party tools, such as “bitcoin-cli verify”.
bitcoctl verify 28.0
Method 2: Use a custom hash function
If you have access to your wallet binary, you can try using a custom hash function (e.g. SHA256) instead of GnuPG’s built-in hashing algorithm. This requires creating a custom hash function implementation and manually generating the data file.
openssl dgst -sha256 bitcoin-core-28.0.bin > bitcoin-core-28.0.sha256
gpg -- Verify bitcoin-core-28.0.sha256
Method 3: Create a new wallet
If none of the above methods work, you may need to create a new wallet or upgrade your existing one to a newer version that uses a different hash function.
Conclusion
The error message “Unable to verify bitcoin core 28.0” is often caused by issues with data file generation during the verification process. By trying alternative approaches and discovering unique solutions, you can resolve this frustrating issue and ensure reliable verification of your Bitcoin Core wallet.