#cryptocurrency: What is and What Could Have Been
▻https://hackernoon.com/cryptocurrency-what-is-and-what-could-have-been-8d77b5df2cd3?source=rss-
Photo by Sandro Katalina on UnsplashDespite what the popular media may report, cryptocurrency didn’t start with #bitcoin. On the contrary, the concept of anonymous digital cash goes back to the 80s! Not only is anonymous digital cash an ancient idea in tech years, but its original conception was far different from what we accept today as cryptocurrency.A quick note: I’ll refer to anonymous digital cash as “bitcash” from here on, to avoid repetition.Now, let’s dive in!Devised in 1982 by that great wizardly guru of cryptography, David Chaum, bitcash was a groundbreaking achievement. In the same paper that discussed the potential of an anonymous digital future, Chaum devised “blind signatures”, the basis of the entire system. A blind signature is when someone signs some piece of content, ensuring (...)