Bitcoin Puzzle #71: 7.10 BTC in plain sight, one lost key away
An open cryptographic challenge that anyone can enter. Here is what it really is, and how to take part even if you have never touched a mining rig.
What it is
Years ago, someone locked a stash of Bitcoin behind a puzzle and walked away. Puzzle #71 is still unsolved. Right now, 7.10 BTC sit on a public address that anyone can pull up on the blockchain and check for themselves. Whoever computes the missing private key first can move those coins. No catch, no gatekeeper, no permission needed.
This is not a lottery and not a raffle. It is a straight computing race. The key is out there. Finding it comes down to how much compute lands on the right patch of the search space, plus a little luck.
Why going it alone almost never works
The keyspace is absurdly large. A single machine would grind at it longer than the universe has existed. Thousands of people are searching in parallel, but with no shared map they keep scanning the same ground and burning effort on nothing.
That is exactly what Galaxy 71 fixes. We folded the entire search space into one galaxy and keep a live map of everything already checked. No patch gets computed twice, and every bit of progress lights up in front of you.
No rig? You can still play
You do not need a powerful machine. Pick a point in the galaxy, rent real compute from us, and our GPUs scan every key inside that patch for you.
Every click gives birth to your own star, a one of a kind NFT built from the code of your patch. Its color, glow and orbits are all computed, never pulled from a set, so no two stars are ever alike. It carries a passport with your name and coordinates. And if the key everyone is chasing happens to sit in your patch, it drops into your inbox, encrypted, and the 7.10 BTC are yours alone.
Open the galaxyGot a GPU? Join the hunt
Own hardware? Point it at the shared hunt. Download the open source client, get free ranges that never overlap with anyone else, and everything you clear becomes your trail on the shared map.
Crack the key with your own rig and the full 7.10 BTC are yours. All we ask is a small subscription for the map and the coordination, so nobody has to hunt blind.
Become a hunterQuestions people ask
Can the key really be found?
Mathematically, yes. Earlier keys in this very series have already been cracked. But the odds on any single patch are slim, so treat it as joining a shared search and building a collection, not a guaranteed payday.
Is this legal?
Yes. The puzzle is open, the coins sit on a public address, and the puzzle's own creator put them there on purpose as a challenge. You are simply computing keys. Nothing is hacked, and nothing belongs to anyone else.
What do I actually get per click?
Real computation on our GPUs, a star NFT that is yours to keep, and a genuine shot at the key turning up in your patch.
If I find the key, do you see it?
No. If it lands in your patch, it goes straight to you, encrypted. We never see it and cannot touch it. What you do next is entirely your call.
What does it cost?
Explorer only pays for the compute it rents, per click. Hunter is a small monthly subscription for the map and coordination. No hidden fees.
What if the site goes away one day?
Your stars live in your account with us. If you want one to outlive us, you can mint it as an NFT on the blockchain, and from then on it is yours on chain no matter what happens to the site.
Galaxy 71 is a compute service built around Bitcoin Puzzle #71. Not a casino, not a lottery. A star NFT is proof of compute, not a prize. The puzzle address is public and verifiable on the blockchain.