Bitcoin (and smart contracts) in 1996?

[Raja_MBZ]

It seems funny (and weird at the same time). The idea of bitcoin, "THE CRYPTOGRAPHY OF ANONYMOUS ELECTRONIC CASH", was initially introduced by the National Security Agency Office of Information Security Research and Technology.

Check out this document dated October 31, 1996: http://groups.csail.mit.edu/mac/classes/6.805/articles/money/nsamint/nsamint.htm

(it's funny to see that most of the provided references in the document belong to David Chaum, who seems to be very busy these days with his upcoming blockchain project "Elixxir", exciting days ahead!)

THAT'S NOT IT!

Look at this: http://www.fon.hum.uva.nl/rob/Courses/InformationInSpeech/CDROM/Literature/LOTwinterschool2006/szabo.best.vwh.net/smart_contracts_2.html

The smart contracts were also well-defined by Nick Szabo in 1996. Is Nick Szabo the creator of bitcoin?

The real question is, even when all the documentation was present, why the hell it took cryptographers/programmers so long to develop "bitcoin"?

[1714692410]

1714692410

[1714692410]

1714692410

[1714692410]

1714692410

[Raja_MBZ]

Look at this: http://www.fon.hum.uva.nl/rob/Courses/InformationInSpeech/CDROM/Literature/LOTwinterschool2006/szabo.best.vwh.net/smart_contracts_2.html

The smart contracts were also well-defined by Nick Szabo in 1996. Is Nick Szabo the creator of bitcoin?

An interesting article regarding the link between Satoshi and Nick:

Who Is Nick Szabo, and Is He Satoshi Nakamoto?

https://www.investopedia.com/news/who-nick-szabo-and-he-satoshi-nakamoto/

[rhomelmabini]

Interesting topic, hoping some reputable and known member will will give their thoughts about it. Maybe theymos might give some feedbacks as an early individuals in this forum.

[bluefirecorp_]

The implementation of the first link isn't even remotely similar to Bitcoin.

This idea is more like paypal than bitcoin.

To protect the payee, it is then necessary to identify the payer. Thus it is necessary to disable the anonymity mechanism in the case of multiple spending.

Silliness.

[LeGaulois]

This document is famous for the crypto community.

Bitcoin is not the first cryptocurrency. Cryptographers have been thinking about a cryptocurrency (or at least a digital currency) since the 1990s-2000s. when the Cypherpunks started to push the right to privacy. Bit Gold was created before Bitcoin but Nick Szabo was not able to resolve the double spend" issue. Bitcoin has been greatly inspired from Bit Gold, hence the rumor saying  Nick Szabo is Satoshi. Bit Gold is not the first either. there are maybe 10-30 digital/decentralized/crypto currencies born and dead before Bitctoin.

[CristianOff]

As I already said,

The GOAL of Bitcoin was to become the 'DIGITAL GOLD'
Nick Szabo called it bitgold in 1998
Today it is more than gold.


Anyway thanks a lot for sharing the information about Elixxir. I wasn't aware of it and seems a promising project