Thread
1/ On crypto native philosophies
Often times in the NFT space I’ve noticed discrepancies in thinking between crypto natives and non-crypto natives.
Why do crypto natives care about decentralisation, censorship resistance, and permissionlessness? What is cypherpunk philosophy?
Often times in the NFT space I’ve noticed discrepancies in thinking between crypto natives and non-crypto natives.
Why do crypto natives care about decentralisation, censorship resistance, and permissionlessness? What is cypherpunk philosophy?
2/ Let's start with a partial history lesson on the cypherpunk movement.
Cypherpunk philosophy traces back to the 70s and directly inspired the creation of cryptocurrencies & blockchains, starting with Bitcoin.
Cypherpunk ethos is a guiding force for a huge % of crypto natives.
Cypherpunk philosophy traces back to the 70s and directly inspired the creation of cryptocurrencies & blockchains, starting with Bitcoin.
Cypherpunk ethos is a guiding force for a huge % of crypto natives.
3/ But what is a cypherpunk?
A cypherpunk is an activist that advocates for cryptography & other privacy technologies on the internet, to enact social change (including an increase in individual liberty).
A cypherpunk is an activist that advocates for cryptography & other privacy technologies on the internet, to enact social change (including an increase in individual liberty).
4/ The term cypherpunk was coined when a group of computer scientists (Eric Hughes, Timothy C. May and John Gilmore) established a San Francisco-based meeting group in 1992.
The group expanded publicly on the internet in the 90s through the Cypherpunks Electronic Mailing List.
The group expanded publicly on the internet in the 90s through the Cypherpunks Electronic Mailing List.
5/ The Cypherpunks mailing list started in 1992 and served as a forum for public talk on cryptography and related internet technologies throughout 90s, during rise of surveillance states.
6/ Many of you in the NFT community have already read an email from the Cypherpunks mailing list.
The "Crypto trading cards" post by Hal Finney (legendary cryptographer) that has gone viral on Crypto Twitter "predicting NFTs" was published through this mailing list in 1993.
The "Crypto trading cards" post by Hal Finney (legendary cryptographer) that has gone viral on Crypto Twitter "predicting NFTs" was published through this mailing list in 1993.
7/ Taking a step back, in 1988, Timothy C. May published a core document called "The Crypto Anarchist Manifesto."
"A specter is haunting the modern world, the specter of crypto anarchy."
groups.csail.mit.edu/mac/classes/6.805/articles/crypto/cypherpunks/may-crypto-manifesto.html
"A specter is haunting the modern world, the specter of crypto anarchy."
groups.csail.mit.edu/mac/classes/6.805/articles/crypto/cypherpunks/may-crypto-manifesto.html
8/ May's vision was a cyberspace free from government oppression.
Crypto anarchists don't necessarily want to overthrow governments, just create self-enforcing rules, including property rights, without involving the government.
elaineou.com/2017/08/03/a-hundred-years-of-crypto-anarchy/
Crypto anarchists don't necessarily want to overthrow governments, just create self-enforcing rules, including property rights, without involving the government.
elaineou.com/2017/08/03/a-hundred-years-of-crypto-anarchy/
9/ From the manifesto:
"Just as the technology of printing altered and reduced the power of medieval guilds and the social power structure, so too will cryptologic methods fundamentally alter the nature of corporations and of government interference in economic transactions."
"Just as the technology of printing altered and reduced the power of medieval guilds and the social power structure, so too will cryptologic methods fundamentally alter the nature of corporations and of government interference in economic transactions."
10/ Another snippet:
"Combined with emerging information markets, crypto anarchy will create a liquid market for any and all material which can be put into words and pictures."
Jpeg trading today is an example!
"Combined with emerging information markets, crypto anarchy will create a liquid market for any and all material which can be put into words and pictures."
Jpeg trading today is an example!
11/ Back to 90s. One of the founding documents of the cypherpunk movement is "A Cypherpunk's Manifesto," written by Eric Hughes in 1993.
"Cypherpunks write code. We know that someone has to write software to defend privacy, and we're going to write it."
www.activism.net/cypherpunk/manifesto.html
"Cypherpunks write code. We know that someone has to write software to defend privacy, and we're going to write it."
www.activism.net/cypherpunk/manifesto.html
12/ A couple snippets:
"Privacy is necessary for an open society in the electronic age. Privacy is not secrecy. A private matter is something one doesn't want the whole world to know, but a secret matter is something one doesn't want anybody to know."
"Privacy is necessary for an open society in the electronic age. Privacy is not secrecy. A private matter is something one doesn't want the whole world to know, but a secret matter is something one doesn't want anybody to know."
13/ "For privacy to be widespread it must be part of a social contract. People must come and together deploy these systems for the common good. Privacy only extends so far as the cooperation of one's fellows in society."
14/ During this mailing list in the 90s, governments waged war on public key cryptography, a threat to liberty and open internet.
Cryptographic tools were classified on the US Munitions List to prevent export. France ordered private keys to be turned in for message decryption.
Cryptographic tools were classified on the US Munitions List to prevent export. France ordered private keys to be turned in for message decryption.
15/ In 1991, Phil Zimmerman created PGP (Pretty Good Privacy, a consumer-grade encryption software allowing private communication) and started to disperse it throughout the internet as a means to fight back.
www.philzimmermann.com/EN/essays/WhyIWrotePGP.html
www.philzimmermann.com/EN/essays/WhyIWrotePGP.html
16/ Cypherpunks published PGP source code *as a book* and on T-Shirts, enacting their First Amendment rights, ultimately winning the multi-year "Crypto War" and establishing the legal right for encryption.
17/ The Cyphernomicon, aka the Cypherpunk FAQ, was published in 1994 by Timothy C. May and goes into huge detail on the topics of crypto anarchy, virtual communities in cyberspace, and electronic cash. Recommended reading if you have the time!
nakamotoinstitute.org/static/docs/cyphernomicon.txt
nakamotoinstitute.org/static/docs/cyphernomicon.txt
18/ "External force, law, and regulation cannot be applied. This is "anarchy," in the sense of no outside rulers and laws. Voluntary arrangements, back-stopped by voluntarily-arranged institutions like escrow services, will be the only form of rule. This is "crypto anarchy."
19/ A key tenant of cypherpunk culture is the idea of protective pseudonymity. Real life identity is optional in cyberspace.
A seminal scifi novelette was published by Vernor Vinge in 1981 on the topic, called "True Names" - en.wikipedia.org/wiki/True_Names
A seminal scifi novelette was published by Vernor Vinge in 1981 on the topic, called "True Names" - en.wikipedia.org/wiki/True_Names
20/ From The Cyphernomicon:
"More basically, anonymity is important because identity is not as important as has been made out in our dossier society. To wit, if Alice wishes to remain anonymous or pseudonymous to Bob, Bob cannot "demand" that she provide her "real" name."
"More basically, anonymity is important because identity is not as important as has been made out in our dossier society. To wit, if Alice wishes to remain anonymous or pseudonymous to Bob, Bob cannot "demand" that she provide her "real" name."
21/ An aspect of the cypherpunk movement is to establish privacy in transacting, not just communicating, on the internet.
One major goal of libertarian futurist cypherpunks was to establish an independent electronic currency free of government control.
One major goal of libertarian futurist cypherpunks was to establish an independent electronic currency free of government control.
22/ In 1982, computer scientist David Chaum introduced the first vision for electronic cash (eCash) on the internet in "Blind Signatures for Untraceable Payments."
This idea was applied throughout the 90s by cypherpunks in attempts to create eCash, including DigiCash, b-money.
This idea was applied throughout the 90s by cypherpunks in attempts to create eCash, including DigiCash, b-money.
23/ Attempts by cypherpunks in the 90s at creating electronic cash failed, eventually leading to the release of Bitcoin in 2009.
www.gwern.net/Bitcoin-is-Worse-is-Better
unenumerated.blogspot.com/2011/05/bitcoin-what-took-ye-so-long.html
www.gwern.net/Bitcoin-is-Worse-is-Better
unenumerated.blogspot.com/2011/05/bitcoin-what-took-ye-so-long.html
24/ Today, cypherpunk values have created large value in the form of cryptocurrencies and NFTs, amongst other technologies.
Bitcoin is the first decentralised cryptocurrency. Previous predecessors could be shut down by governments.
Bitcoin is the first decentralised cryptocurrency. Previous predecessors could be shut down by governments.
25/ The trust minimization factor of these technologies (aka censorship resistance) allows trusting others in internet transactions despite neither party knowing each other's true identity!
Decentralization means there's no single point of failure for the government to shut down
Decentralization means there's no single point of failure for the government to shut down
26/ Cryptocurrencies and blockchains allow anyone to transact without having to seek permissions from governments or middlemen (like banks and PayPal) for transacting.
This is what "permissionless" means and what cypherpunks fight for.
This is what "permissionless" means and what cypherpunks fight for.
27/ The fight for liberty and freedoms in cyberspace is far from over.
We're in the age of the Crypto Wars 2.0.
Earlier this year, Tornado Cash (Ethereum mixer for privacy) was added to US Treasury OFAC sanctions list. A developer was arrested for writing code, free speech.
We're in the age of the Crypto Wars 2.0.
Earlier this year, Tornado Cash (Ethereum mixer for privacy) was added to US Treasury OFAC sanctions list. A developer was arrested for writing code, free speech.
28/ We're also in the age of Metaverse Wars.
It's important to remember principles of cypherpunks as humans increasingly "live" and fully interact with the metaverse through social spaces and virtual goods.
It's important to remember principles of cypherpunks as humans increasingly "live" and fully interact with the metaverse through social spaces and virtual goods.
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Bay Backner @BayBackner
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Oct 16, 2022
Brilliant thread!