ELECTRONIC MONEY INTENDED TO BE ISSUED AS LEGAL CURRENCY BY CENTRAL BANK OR INSTITUTION HAVING FUNCTION EQUIVALENT TO THAT OF CENTRAL BANK AND ELECTRONIC MONEY SYSTEM

摘要

[PROBLEMS] A business process (electronic money system) ensuring adequate security, convenience, continuity, and anonymity must be built so that the central bank etc. may use electronic money as legal currency. [MEANS FOR SOLVING PROBLEMS] An electronic money system having as essential constituent elements “an electronic money issuing center which issues electronic money” and “a device supplying center which supplies an electronic wallet ensuring physical tamper-resistance” is provided (see Fig. 1). To authenticate electronic money and an electronic wallet, the PKI (Public Key Infrastructure) technique using the electronic money issuing center and the device supplying center as a certification authority is used. A scheme for preventing the encryption keys (both the secret key and the public key) from being exposed to the outside of the electronic money system is provided. An electronic money system having a scheme enabling quick detection of a fraudulence such as counterfeit or falsification of electronic money if such fraudulence occurs is provided.