π-Sharding A new way to split and distribute any file or secret using the infinite digits of π. π-Sharding uses the infinite digits of π as a public, unchangeable instruction manual for splitting any file or secret into unlimited secure shards — no keys, no randomness, no trusted party, just mathematics. π-Sharding is a brand-new technique (proposed here on X) for breaking any digital file or secret into as many pieces as you want — 10, 10,000, or 10 billion — using the digits of π (3.14159…) as a universal rulebook. The key idea: ✔️ π provides the instructions ✔️ Cryptography provides the security So π tells you how to split and distribute, and standard cryptography ensures nobody can read a piece on its own. Why use π at all? Because π is: infinite deterministic publicly known the same everywhere on Earth (and in space) impossible to manipulate That makes it the perfect neutral, trustless source of rules for coordinating millions of people or servers without any central authority. How Corrected π-Sharding Works (Simplified) 1. Start with any file or secret A private key, a movie, DNA data — anything. 2. Decide how many shards you want (N) Could be: 7 shards for a family 100,000 shards for a DAO 10 million shards for a global network There is no limit. 3. Use π as the universal “cutting map” This is the innovation. For shard k, you jump to a specific digit of π — e.g., digit (k × 1000) — and use those digits to decide: where to cut how long the shard should be how to name or order the shard which node or person gets which shard Everyone can verify this because π never changes. 4. Use real secret-sharing to actually secure the shards This is the correction. Instead of XOR-ing with digits of π (not secure because π is public), you apply a proper k-of-N secret-sharing method, such as: Shamir's Secret Sharing Reed–Solomon erasure coding This ensures: ✔️ One shard alone reveals nothing ✔️ You can require “any 3 of 7,” or “any 200 of 10,000” ✔️ The original file can only be rebuilt with enough shards 5. Reconstruction is easy To rebuild the original file, you need: any k valid shards the public π-rulebook (no secrets there) Everything is deterministic. Nothing to trust. What Makes π-Sharding Special (in plain English) 1. π replaces randomness You don’t need: a ceremony a trusted party a random number generator a special server The digits of π do all the coordination automatically. 2. Infinite scalability Because π has infinite digits, you can create infinite shards. You will never “run out.” 3. Zero coordination Every person or node in the network can independently compute: which shard they should hold where it fits how the system is structured No meetings. No setup. No central controller. 4. Always works — today, in 2050, or 2500 As long as π remains π, the rules remain the same forever. Real-World Uses (all new) ✔️ Decentralized storage networks Automatically split every file using π. No randomness. No admin. No ceremony. ✔️ DAO key management Split a private key across 100,000 members without ever gathering them in one place. ✔️ Government or corporate master keys Store a nuclear code or root certificate across multiple vaults with no single point of failure. ✔️ Zero-knowledge blockchains Distribute proof data across thousands of nodes with guaranteed fairness. Why this is genuinely new People have used π for: art testing randomness generating vanity addresses steganography Nobody has ever used π as a universal, deterministic “shard blueprint” for splitting data in a trustless way across unlimited nodes. cc: @VitalikButerin

Here is a simplified breakdown, a "real world" analogy to help you visualize it, and 5 expanded practical use cases that anyone can understand. We are using Pii as a universal map. Since everyone has pi, everyone has the map. You don't need a central server to tell people where to look; the math tells them. Part 1: The "Book Code" Analogy (Use this to explain it to non-tech people) Imagine you have a treasure map (your secret). You tear it into 5 pieces so no single person can find the treasure alone. The Old Way: You have to call 5 friends, tell them where to stand, give them a piece, and write down a list of who is holding what. If you lose that list, the map is gone. The pi-Sharding Way: You don't need a list. You agree on a rule: "We will follow the digits of pi." * \pi says the first piece goes to the location at Latitude 3... * pi says the second piece goes to Longitude 1... * pi says the third piece goes to the 4th safe deposit box... Because pi is infinite and never changes, the instructions are written in the fabric of mathematics. You don't need to call your friends to coordinate. You just look at pi, and you know exactly where the pieces should be. Part 2: Practical Uses (Expanded for Everyone) Here are five specific ways this technology could be used today, ranging from personal finance to history. 1. The "Unloseable" Bitcoin Inheritance $BTC * The Problem: If you own Bitcoin, you have a "seed phrase" (password). If you die, your family can't access it. If you give it to them while you are alive, they might steal it or lose it. * The pi-Sharding Solution: You split your seed phrase into 10 pieces. Using pi-Sharding, the system automatically sends these digital shards to 10 different trusted devices (a lawyer, a cloud account, a USB drive, a spouse's phone). * The Benefit: No single person has the money. But when you pass away, the family combines their devices. The system uses pi to locate the pieces and reconstruct the key. It requires zero central company to manage it. 2. The "Civilization Backup" (Indestructible History) * The Problem: History books can be burned. Servers can be wiped. If a government wants to erase a specific video or news article, they usually can. * The pi-Sharding Solution: A prohibited video file is sharded into 100,000 tiny fragments. Using pi as the map, these fragments are scattered across 100,000 random computers globally. * The Benefit: Because the distribution follows the digits of pi, no central administrator can hit a "delete" button. To destroy the file, the government would have to find and wipe all 100,000 computers simultaneously. The file becomes uncensorable. 3. Corporate "Nuclear Codes" (No Single Point of Failure) * The Problem: A CEO has the master password to the company bank account. If the CEO goes rogue or is kidnapped, the company is doomed. * The pi-Sharding Solution: The master password is split into shards. pi dictates that the password only reforms if the CEO plus the CFO plus the Head of HR all approve the transaction on their devices. * The Benefit: Mathematical checks and balances. It creates a digital "Three-Key" nuclear launch system without needing to buy expensive hardware vaults. 4. Secure AI Model Weights * The Problem: Companies like OpenAI or Google have "weights" (the brain of the AI) that are incredibly valuable. If a hacker steals them, they have the AI. * The pi-Sharding Solution: The AI's brain is never stored in one place. It is sharded across thousands of servers. The AI computes using the shards without ever assembling the full "brain" in one spot until the exact millisecond it is needed. * The Benefit: Even if a hacker breaks into the server farm, they only get a useless fragment of the AI, not the whole brain.

5. The Ultimate "Dead Man's Switch" for Journalists * The Problem: An investigative journalist has evidence of a crime. They are afraid for their safety. * The pi-Sharding Solution: They upload the evidence, which is sharded to 500 anonymous followers on social media using pi distribution. The shards are encrypted. * The Benefit: If the journalist doesn't "check in" every 24 hours, the decryption key is released. The network (using pi to coordinate) automatically recombines the shards and publishes the evidence to the world. You cannot stop it because you cannot stop math. "pi-Sharding turns the most famous number in the universe into the world’s most secure filing cabinet. It uses the infinite, unchangeable digits of pi to organize and hide data across the internet, ensuring that no secret is ever lost, and no secret is ever stolen."