Satoshi Natakmoto’s anonymity and powerful mining-incentive mechanism are key examples of what made Bitcoin (BTC) unique and led to its unparalleled success. But for truly democratized money and finance to be achieved, it is worth reminding enthusiasts that Bitcoin was an iteration in a series of trials and errors that go back as far as the 1980s.
David Chaum conducted research as early as 1982 that laid the groundwork for the invention of “Computer Systems Established, Maintained, and Trusted by Mutually Suspicious Groups.” Other cryptographers — including Adam Back, Hal Finney, Nick Szabo and Vitalik Buterin, to mention just a few — have also been hugely influential in pushing the groundbreaking technology forward. Thanks to these early pioneers, we are now embarked on a journey that will continue long into the future as experts and tinkerers relentlessly look for ways to improve on the existing and solve real-world problems.