As bitcoin continues to make history, it also brings to light a ghost from the cryptocurrency’s not-so-distant past: How secured are the coins on wallets and exchanges?

Several weeks ago, authorities arrested BTC-e owner Alexander Vinnik on allegations of laundering $4 billion in cash through the virtual currency exchange. Vinnik was also linked to the demise of Japan-based Mt. Gox bitcoin exchange, and his arrest brought forth suspicions on whether he is responsible for the 850,000 bitcoin that the now-defunct bitcoin exchange lost.

Bitcoin technology research and development outfit nChain believes that before bitcoin adoption can grow any further, consumers and operators need to be sure that their private keys cannot be stolen.

Fending off future Mt. Gox-type hacks