Bitcoin and the rise of cryptopunk: From cryptography to decentralized revolution
The birth of Bitcoin was not accidental, but the result of decades of technology and concepts accumulated by the cryptopunk movement. From the foundation of cryptography to the idea of anonymous electronic cash to the practice of decentralized consensus mechanisms, a series of key breakthroughs have paved the way for Bitcoin. Core concepts such as public key identity, Byzantine fault tolerance, proof-of-work, and smart contracts shape the foundation of a decentralized financial system. Satoshi Nakamoto’s Bitcoin white paper not only marks the birth of point-to-point electronic cash, but also continues cryptopunk’s pursuit of privacy, freedom and anti-censorship, setting off a global decentralization in the context of the 2008 financial crisis. Revolution.