Tag: Cypherpunk

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Jameson Lopp Speaks About Bitcoin (BTC) And Government

There are many reasons to believe in blockchain and cryptocurrency. There are entrepreneurs that love the fact that blockchain can optimize their businesses, and there are human rights advocates that appreciate the transparency of blockchain. Of course, there are differing opinions as to what the true principles of decentralization are, and how blockchain should be applied to society.

Jameson Lopp is a well-known cryptocurrency figure and a self-described cypherpunk, and Bitcoin Core developer. He recently appeared on a podcast where he seemed to point out that Bitcoin could help with overall governance.

About The Appearance

Lopp appeared on the Stephan Livera Podcast several days ago, on December 29, 2018. During his appearance, he seemed to suggest that society could be governed in a new way thanks to the digital asset. Specifically, he stated: “I believe that Bitcoin is a very interesting experiment that if is successful in the long run could not only revolutionize money, but revolutionize how we think about governance.”

He elaborated that Bitcoin could be used to create a “more self-sovereign, anarcho-capitalist society”. He also seemed to acknowledge that if this were to occur, it would not be in the near future, saying: “The first step I think is Bitcoin, and if that’s successful enough, then we can start talking about the next step.”

About Lopp

Lopp was introduced on the podcast as a “well-known cypherpunk within the Bitcoin community” and the chief technology officer (CTO) of Casa”, a key management company. He also created a Bitcoin statistics website by the name of Statoshi.info, as well.

Lopp spoke on his future endeavors going into 2019, stating that he would be “continuing the security focus that I had for the past three years, with our vault products, the Casa Key Master, which we are currently targeting for high net-worth individuals, but of course, eventually want to make available to as many people as possible.”

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Influential Cypherpunk Passes Away At Age 67

Those who truly understand cryptocurrency history know that the cryptocurrency world owes a lot to the cypherpunk movement, a technologist movement that advocated for privacy and cryptography throughout the 1980s and 1990s in order to redefine the way that human beings, organizations, and institutions interact with each other.

There are three individuals that are widely considered “godfathers” of this movement: Timothy May, Eric Hughes, and John Gilmore. Unfortunately, one of the founders of this movement, Timothy May, has passed away at the age of 67.

The Crypto Manifesto

Timothy May is most famous as the author of The Crypto Manifesto, which many have praised as incredibly ahead of its time, in that it describes how technology would eventually transform the world as we know it, and the way that human beings interact with each other.

Specifically, May stated, in The Crypto Manifesto: “Computer technology is on the verge of providing the ability for individuals and groups to communicate and interact with each other in a totally anonymous manner. Two persons may exchange messages, conduct business, and negotiate electronic contracts without ever knowing the True Name, or legal identity, of the other. Interactions over networks will be untraceable, via extensive re- routing of encrypted packets and tamper-proof boxes which implement cryptographic protocols with nearly perfect assurance against any tampering.

He continued: “Reputations will be of central importance, far more important in dealings than even the credit ratings of today. These developments will alter completely the nature of government regulation, the ability to tax and control economic interactions, the ability to keep information secret, and will even alter the nature of trust and reputation.”

Many have pointed out that, in this manner, Mr. May essentially predicted the rise of Bitcoin.

Praises and Condolences

Influential cryptocurrency figures were quick to offer their condolences for May, given the fact that he is considered a forefather for the cryptocurrency world as we know it. For example, Vitalik Buterin, one of the most respected individuals in the sector, and the co-founder of Ethereum, took to Twitter to offer his condolences:

Nick Szabo, a well-known computer scientist and cryptographer who some believe is actually the real Satoshi Nakomoto – the creator of Bitcoin – also offered his condolences. He stated that May was his “chief cypherpunk inspiration”, and that his vision was “of a cyberspace free from government oppression.” He ended the tweet by stating that May will be missed greatly.