61 - Before Bitcoin | Peter Pan

Apr 19, 2021

The discussion kicks off with the fascinating evolution of cryptography and the cypherpunk movement, setting the stage for today's cryptocurrency landscape. Insights into decentralized finance reveal the benefits of platforms like Balancer. Delving into the impact of public key cryptography, the conversation uncovers its historical significance in the fight for digital privacy. Listeners also explore the creation of eCash and the Electronic Frontier Foundation amidst government surveillance concerns, highlighting the relentless pursuit of freedom in the digital age.

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ANECDOTE

Peter Pan's Crypto Journey

Peter Pan's journey into crypto began with basic questions about blockchain technology.
This led him to explore cryptography's history and the cypherpunk movement.

insights

INSIGHT

Cypherpunk Values

Early cypherpunks like Hellman, Diffie, and Merkle valued open access to cryptography.
They believed it was too powerful to be controlled by governments or corporations.

insights

INSIGHT

Cypherpunk Legacy in Web3

Cypherpunks believed cryptography was a tool to create social structures and protect privacy.
This ethos has evolved in Web3 towards using tools like smart contracts for coordination and building.

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Navigating DeFi: Balancer and Beyond

04:01 • 4min

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Exploring the Cypherpunk Legacy

08:09 • 23min

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Exploring the Origins of DAOs and the Future of Asset Exchange

31:12 • 2min

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Unraveling the Cryptographic Foundations of Bitcoin

33:41 • 4min

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Foundations of Cryptography

38:05 • 20min

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Decoding Privacy: The Role of Encryption and Decentralization

58:32 • 13min

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The Evolution of Digital Rights

01:11:06 • 10min

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Crypto Revolutions: The Dawn of PGP and Cypherpunks

01:21:26 • 26min

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Cryptography, Law, and the Cypherpunks

01:47:45 • 6min

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Historical Reflections on Bitcoin and the Cypherpunk Movement

01:54:11 • 4min

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Before Bitcoin

A 4-Part Series on the History of Cryptography

Pet3rPan

This series by Pet3rPan delves into the historical landscape of cryptography, tracing its evolution from the 1970s to the early 2000s. It highlights the role of Cypherpunks and the development of public-key cryptography, providing context for the technological underpinnings of modern cryptocurrencies.

The codebreakers

the story of secret writing

David Kahn

David Kahn's 'The Codebreakers' provides a detailed and engaging account of the history of cryptography, covering its role in shaping human events from ancient civilizations to modern times. The book explores how codes and ciphers have been used in warfare, diplomacy, and espionage, and how they continue to influence our digital lives today.

1984

None

George Orwell

Published in 1949, '1984' is a cautionary tale by George Orwell that explores the dangers of totalitarianism. The novel is set in a dystopian future where the world is divided into three super-states, with the protagonist Winston Smith living in Oceania, ruled by the mysterious and omnipotent leader Big Brother. Winston works at the Ministry of Truth, where he rewrites historical records to conform to the Party's ever-changing narrative. He begins an illicit love affair with Julia and starts to rebel against the Party, but they are eventually caught and subjected to brutal torture and indoctrination. The novel highlights themes of government surveillance, manipulation of language and history, and the suppression of individual freedom and independent thought.

Peter Pan has been a key member of the Ethereum Ecosystem, and in 2018, he wrote a 4-part series titled "Before Bitcoin," which covers the modern history of cryptography.

We first bring him onto the podcast for an interview, followed by a reading of the full series by David.

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Bankless Podcast #61 - Before Bitcoin Guest: Pet3rPan

Pet3rPan is a community-first investor at 1kx and part of the leadership of both MetaCartel Ventures and VentureDAO. His involvement in the crypto space is broad and deep, exemplified by his authoring of the Before Bitcoin series that we dive into in this episode.

He was compelled to write the piece as he entered the crypto space, determined to build a depth of knowledge about the history and underlying technology of distributed ledgers powered by public-key cryptography. Modern cryptography doesn't exist in a vacuum, and there is a vast historical landscape to explore and provide context for the underlying principles that power the internet today and drive the innovation of the internet tomorrow.

The story of today's cryptocurrency did not begin with Satoshi's Bitcoin whitepaper in 2009. It began decades earlier in the 1970s as cryptography was revolutionized by Cypherpunks, who discovered new mechanisms for the secure transfer of information. They pursued these ends through their shared values of privacy, self-sovereignty, freedom of information, etc.

This episode begins with a brief interview with Pet3rPan, followed by a 'David Reads' of all four Before Bitcoin articles.

------ Resources:

pet3rpan on Twitter: https://twitter.com/pet3rpan_?s=20

Before Bitcoin Part 1: https://pet3rpan.medium.com/history-of-things-before-bitcoin-cryptocurrency-part-one-e199f02ca380

Before Bitcoin Part 2: https://pet3rpan.medium.com/history-of-things-before-bitcoin-cryptocurrency-part-two-94c4576005

Before Bitcoin Part 3: https://pet3rpan.medium.com/before-bitcoin-pt-3-90s-cryptowars-e857915fab82

Before Bitcoin Part 4: https://pet3rpan.medium.com/before-bitcoin-pt-4-00s-new-millenium-426d6e3dcb1a

The Digital Culture Revolution: https://newsletter.banklesshq.com/p/the-digital-culture-revolution

------ This Week on Bankless:

🧢 Weekly Action Recap (4/17): https://newsletter.banklesshq.com/p/price-discovery-mode-weekly-recap 🗞️ Weekly Rollup (4/16): https://shows.banklesshq.com/p/-rollup-btc-and-eth-ath-coin-berlin 🏴 Cryptex & Element (4/13): https://shows.banklesshq.com/p/sotn-42-ethereum-devs-building-defi ⚒️ How to Use dYdX (4/13): https://newsletter.banklesshq.com/p/how-to-trade-on-the-dydx-rollup

----- Not financial or tax advice. This channel is strictly educational and is not investment advice or a solicitation to buy or sell any assets or to make any financial decisions. This video is not tax advice. Talk to your accountant. Do your own research.

Disclosure. From time-to-time I may add links in this newsletter to products I use. I may receive commission if you make a purchase through one of these links. Additionally, the Bankless writers hold crypto assets. See our investment disclosures here: https://newsletter.banklesshq.com/p/bankless-disclosures

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