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Bitcoin: Cannot verify bitcoin core 28.0

The Frustrating Bitcoin Verification Process: A Step-by-Step Guide

As an experienced Bitcoin user, you have likely encountered many obstacles when trying to verify your wallet. One such issue is the error message “Could not verify bitcoin core 28.0.” In this article, we will discuss the steps required to resolve this frustrating issue and look at alternative solutions.

Problem: Could not verify Bitcoin Core 28.0

When attempting to verify a Bitcoin Core (BTC) wallet using the command gpg.exe --verify SHA256SUMS.asc, an error message appears indicating that there are no signed data files in the format expected by GnuPG. More specifically, this response is:

gpg: no signed data gpg: could not hash data file: No ...

Step 1-9: A quick summary of Bitcoin Core and verification

To help you understand why your wallet cannot be verified, let’s briefly summarize the process:

  • Step 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 Bitcoin Core to version 28.0 or later using the bitcoin-cli update command.
  • Step 9: You ran the gpg.exe --verify SHA256SUMS.asc command to verify your wallet.

Why can’t I verify my wallet?

The error message “Could not verify bitcoin core 28.0” suggests that there are problems 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 directly read.
  • The SHA256SUMS.asc file used for verification contains sensitive wallet state information, including transactions, addresses, and other key values.

Alternative solutions:

To resolve this issue, you can try the following alternative approaches:

Bitcoin: Cannot verify bitcoin core 28.0

Method 1: Use a different verification tool

Instead of using gpg.exe, consider using a different GnuPG-based verification tool, such as gpg --verify or bcl --verify. You can also use third-party tools, such as bitcoin-cli verify, to perform the verification.

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 the built-in GnuPG hash algorithm. This will require you to create a custom hash implementation and manually generate 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 update your existing one to a newer version that uses a different hash function.

Conclusion

The error message “Could not verify bitcoin core 28.0” is often caused by issues with generating the data file during the verification process. By trying alternative approaches and exploring non-standard solutions, you can solve this frustrating problem and ensure reliable verification of your Bitcoin Core wallet.