Cicada 3301
The Internet’s Enduring Mystery
Cryptography, steganography, and a global hunt that still fascinates.
The Mystery
Cicada 3301 is the name used by an anonymous group that posted a series of fiendishly difficult puzzles online beginning on January 4, 2012, first appearing on 4chan. New rounds followed in January 2013 and January 2014, drawing solvers into cryptography, steganography, classic literature, and even real-world posters placed across multiple countries. The group used an OpenPGP key to verify authentic messages, and the pages of a cryptic Latin book, Liber Primus, remain only partially solved to this day. The stated aim was to find ‘highly intelligent individuals,’ but who was behind Cicada 3301 — and why — remains unknown.
The 2012 Launch
The first puzzle began with a simple image on 4chan, leading to a complex trail of data hidden in images, phone numbers, and eventually physical posters with QR codes found in cities like Warsaw, Paris, and Miami, launching a truly global scavenger hunt.
Cryptography & Liber Primus
Solvers faced numerous ciphers, from classical methods to custom cryptographic schemes. All official messages were signed with the same OpenPGP private key, ensuring authenticity. The ultimate prize, the "Liber Primus" (First Book), is a collection of encrypted pages of which only a few have ever been publicly decoded.
Legacy & Influence
After 2014, official puzzles ceased, but the mystery endures. Cicada 3301 inspired numerous documentaries, articles, and copycat puzzles. It remains a benchmark for internet mysteries, raising questions about online privacy, decentralization, and the search for intelligence in the digital age.
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A Brief Timeline
A Deep Dive into the Puzzles
From steganography to the Liber Primus: a journey down the rabbit hole.
The First Wave: A Global Hunt (2012)
The first puzzle began with an image on 4chan containing a hidden message, discovered through steganography. This led participants on a chase across the internet, involving Caesar ciphers, references to cyberpunk literature, and eventually, real-world locations. Posters with QR codes appeared in 14 cities worldwide, from Warsaw to Los Angeles, proving the organization's global reach.
The Second Wave: Runes & The Dark Web (2013)
The second puzzle increased the difficulty. It started with an image containing a quote and hidden data. This time, the path led solvers to a book of Anglo-Saxon runes, audio files with cryptic messages, and eventually, a hidden service on the Tor network. It required not only cryptographic skills but also knowledge of obscure texts and network security.
The Third Wave & The Liber Primus (2014)
The third and most mysterious puzzle introduced the 'Liber Primus' (First Book). This was a 58-page book, with most pages encrypted using a complex, custom-made cipher based on runes. To this day, the global community has only managed to successfully decrypt a few pages. The book is considered the ultimate test, a philosophical and cryptographic manifesto of Cicada 3301. Its full meaning remains a secret.
The 3310 Token
Inspired by the mystery. Driven by the community. 3310 is a tribute to the pursuit of knowledge and decentralization that Cicada 3301 represents.
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Community-Driven
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A small puzzle...
Start with ROT-7. The password is DLSVTLU.