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

As a seasoned Bitcoin user, you’ve probably encountered several obstacles when trying to verify your wallet. One such issue is encountering the error message “Unable to verify bitcoin core 28.0.” In this article, we’ll detail the steps needed to resolve this frustrating issue and explore solutions.

Problem: Unable to verify Bitcoin Core 28.0

When you try to verify your Bitcoin Core (BTC) wallet using the command gpg.exe --verify SHA256SUMS.asc, you receive an error message indicating that there are no signed data files in the format expected by GnuPG reply and:

gpg: no signed data gpg: cannot hash data file: no...

Step 1-9: A brief recap of Bitcoin Core and verification

To help you understand why your wallet cannot be verified, let’s briefly recap 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 have updated your Bitcoin Core to version 28.0 or later using the bitcoin-cli update command.
  • Step 9: You have run the gpg.exe --verify SHA256SUMS.asc command to verify your wallet.

Why can’t I verify my wallet?

The error message “Unable to 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, which cannot be read directly by GnuPG.
  • The SHA256SUMS.asc file used for verification contains sensitive information about the state of your wallet, including transactions, addresses, and other key values.

Alternative Solutions:

To resolve the issue, you can try these alternative approaches:

Method 1: Use a different scanning 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

bitcoctl verification 28.0

Method 2: Use a custom hash function

If you have access to the wallet binary, you can try using a custom hash function (e.g. SHA256) instead of the built-in hash algorithm in GnuPG. This will require writing a custom implementation of the hash function and manually generating the data files.

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 “Unable to verify bitcoin core 28.0” is usually caused by issues with data file generation during the verification process. By trying alternative approaches and exploring custom solutions, you can resolve this frustrating issue and ensure reliable verification of your Bitcoin Core wallet.