Happy Birthday, Bitcoin! Understanding the bitcoin whitepaper with Jameson Lopp

[_act_]

I saw this today, that today marks the 15th anniversary of the bitcoin whitepaper, a nine-page document that kickstarted the age of bitcoin.

When Satoshi released the whitepaper on Oct. 31, 2008, it didn't seem like much. At first, the paper was distributed to a mailing list of cypherpunks, but it unveiled the concept of bitcoin to the world for the first time. The paper describes technical concepts such as Proof of Work and the Merkle Tree, and it gives us a glimpse into the problems that bitcoin addresses.

The bitcoin protocol would begin in earnest on Jan. 3, 2009 when Satoshi mined the first bitcoin block, also known as the genesis block. So, bitcoin has multiple birthdays — we wouldn't blame you if you celebrate year-round.

In the below Q&A, Jameson discusses why the whitepaper matters, the context from which it sprang, and even some things it got wrong.

https://blog.keys.casa/understanding-bitcoin-whitepaper/?utm_term=whitepaper-day&utm_campaign=security-briefing&utm_medium=email&utm_content=oct-31&utm_source=hubspot

I like the questions and answers. You can also read it.

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[hugeblack]

It is strange that no one talked about it, but time passed quickly and events followed, which some may consider the beginning of Bitcoin, some consider genius block to be more important event, and others see Satoshi’s first post in the forum as the most important.

This is an ideal opportunity to read the white paper. If you haven't read it already, now might be a good time.

[aoluain]

There is another thread which was open just after this one and is getting a bit more activity
https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=5472323.0

I think most people put more emphasis on the Genesis Block from 03/01/2009 and so the
celebration is focussed around early January every year.

The Bitcoin Whitepaper was a BIG announcement to whoever listened in October 2008. Its
still interesting to read it today.

Thank you to _act_ for the link, its a very interesting questionaire and is very relevant to some
questions which have popped up on the forum over the last while - for example:

Q: Has your view of the whitepaper changed over time?

Jameson: The only thing that I think has really changed is my view of how little of the system the whitepaper
actually describes. It’s far from comprehensive. Bitcoin, as a protocol on a network and a whole ecosystem,
has grown far beyond the scope of the experiment that it was in 2008....

[Agbe]

Thanks for reminding us on this great day. This would have been a great event in the forum either the birthday of bitcoin or bitcoin invention day. And make everyone celebrate it. But seen the forum is very much quite about it. Satoshi Nakamoto create bitcoin for all because when he discovered that the authorities embezzling the fiat money that is meant for the people and making the poor to be perpetual in poverty. So Satoshi Nakamoto /bitcoin came has the freedom fighters to everyone in the world.

[pinggoki]

It is strange that no one talked about it, but time passed quickly and events followed, which some may consider the beginning of Bitcoin, some consider genius block to be more important event, and others see Satoshi’s first post in the forum as the most important.

This is an ideal opportunity to read the white paper. If you haven't read it already, now might be a good time.

What's there to talk about it even if we know about it though? Reminisce of the times when bitcoin was still affordable for everyone and anyone could've been rich if they just kept the bitcoins that they've earned in faucets? Those stuff are being talked about already in other topics so I don't see anything strange in the fact that it's not that big of a deal for some people. I do support that everyone should read the whitepaper though, and the anniversary of it's publishing should be a reminder to everyone to read the Bitcoin community's bible.

[Doan9269]

I saw this today, that today marks the 15th anniversary of the bitcoin whitepaper, a nine-page document that kickstarted the age of bitcoin.

When Satoshi released the whitepaper on Oct. 31, 2008, it didn't seem like much. At first, the paper was distributed to a mailing list of cypherpunks, but it unveiled the concept of bitcoin to the world for the first time. The paper describes technical concepts such as Proof of Work and the Merkle Tree, and it gives us a glimpse into the problems that bitcoin addresses.

The bitcoin protocol would begin in earnest on Jan. 3, 2009 when Satoshi mined the first bitcoin block, also known as the genesis block. So, bitcoin has multiple birthdays — we wouldn't blame you if you celebrate year-round.

In the below Q&A, Jameson discusses why the whitepaper matters, the context from which it sprang, and even some things it got wrong.

https://blog.keys.casa/understanding-bitcoin-whitepaper/?utm_term=whitepaper-day&utm_campaign=security-briefing&utm_medium=email&utm_content=oct-31&utm_source=hubspot

I like the questions and answers. You can also read it.

What a nice remembrance, there's nothing to prove about bitcoin without consulting everything that was written concerning it, people learn about what bitcoin is and howi it serves the usefulness of it existence, all the protocol that was written concerning bitcoin and the intention on what Satoshi Nakamoto uses in creating bitcoin for all, things like this should be a memorable one and an unforgettable experience each time we come across it because without the whitepaper, there's no bitcoin because that's the manual to all it's protocols.

[tbct_mt2]

I think most people put more emphasis on the Genesis Block from 03/01/2009 and so the
celebration is focussed around early January every year.

The Bitcoin Whitepaper was a BIG announcement to whoever listened in October 2008. Its
still interesting to read it today.

Without the White paper, no Bitcoin Genesis block and it makes the White paper important. Bitcoin protocol can be upgraded and Bitcoin has been developed a lot since 2009 but the White paper is where it was kicked off even before the Genesis block.

The origin of something is always most interesting and it is the same for Bitcoin White Paper.

By celebrating the Bitcoin White Paper, we can spend some time to read

Satoshi's lesson.

[cryptoaddictchie]

What's there to talk about it even if we know about it though? Reminisce of the times when bitcoin was still affordable for everyone and anyone could've been rich if they just kept the bitcoins that they've earned in faucets?

Well its called anniversary for that purpose isnt it? Well its likely a never ending event yearly but its okay to talk about that once in a while and remember how people and some great people contribute to bitcoin and even earned a lot from it. If thats prohibited here then this topic should have been deleted anyway.

[tbct_mt2]

Well its called anniversary for that purpose isnt it? Well its likely a never ending event yearly but its okay to talk about that once in a while and remember how people and some great people contribute to bitcoin and even earned a lot from it. If thats prohibited here then this topic should have been deleted anyway.

Yearly anniversary helps people to know about Bitcoin White Paper. By reading it, they will see difference between Bitcoin White paper and altcoin white papers. Altcoin projects attach many promising vision to their white papers which never turn to real achievements.

In contrast with them, Bitcoin has gained big achievements since 2009 and even many developments have been done, something most fundamentals are in  the White Paper like the formula to calculate risk of 51% attack.

https://blog.lopp.net/how-many-bitcoin-confirmations-is-enough

[Fundamentals Of]

I think the launching was the specific event that people learned to give more weight to. And I think that's just right. It's like a child who is inside the womb of the mother. Just like the baby, the idea of Bitcoin was already alive before the actual launching, but it wasn't until the day when Satoshi actually mined the genesis block that Bitcoin was actually born. In the same way that a child doesn't celebrate his birthday when the egg cell and the sperm cell met or when his heart started beating. His birthday is on the day he's actually born.