Wei Dai
Wei Dai: Computer engineer, author of b-money, reference [1] of the whitepaper. Described b-money in 1998: money created by solving computational problems and kept on pseudonymous accounts. Satoshi wrote that Bitcoin “expands on your ideas into a complete working system”. Announced b-money on the cypherpunks list, 27 Nov 1998 (UTC).
Source: mailing-list-archive.cryptoanarchy.wiki
Key facts
| Fact | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Also known as | weidai.com | mailing-list-archive.cryptoanarchy.wiki |
| Role | Computer engineer, author of b-money, reference [1] of the whitepaper | mailing-list-archive.cryptoanarchy.wiki |
| First known Bitcoin link | Announced b-money on the cypherpunks list, 27 Nov 1998 (UTC) | mailing-list-archive.cryptoanarchy.wiki |
| In the Bitcoin whitepaper | Cited as reference [1] | bitcoin.org/bitcoin.pdf |
| Education | University of Washington | en.wikipedia.org |
| Work | Crypto++ cryptography library (author) | en.wikipedia.org |
Background
Crypto-anarchy, pseudonymous money and contract enforcement (b-money) [weidai.com]
Timeline
- 22 Aug 2008: Satoshi emails him to cite b-money in the paper. [gwern.net]
- 31 Oct 2008: The whitepaper cites b-money as reference [1]. [bitcoin.org]
Connections
- Satoshi Nakamoto: Satoshi emailed him on 22 Aug 2008 to cite b-money [gwern.net]
- Timothy C. May: b-money opens with Tim May's crypto-anarchy [weidai.com]
- Hal Finney: Hal Finney wrote that he corresponded with him extensively [bitcointalk.org]
In their own words
“I am fascinated by Tim May's crypto-anarchy.” (1998, via personal website) [weidai.com]
“Also available there is a description of b-money, a new protocol for monetary exchange and contract enforcement for pseudonyms.” (27 Nov 1998, via cypherpunks mailing list) [mailing-list-archive.cryptoanarchy.wiki]
From the Bitcoin Museum
Satoshi writes to Wei Dai (22 Aug 2008): Following Adam Back's pointer, Satoshi asks Wei Dai for the year of b-money to cite it. Wei Dai later published the emails.
FAQ
- Who is Wei Dai?
- Wei Dai: Computer engineer, author of b-money, reference [1] of the whitepaper. Described b-money in 1998: money created by solving computational problems and kept on pseudonymous accounts. Satoshi wrote that Bitcoin “expands on your ideas into a complete working system”. Announced b-money on the cypherpunks list, 27 Nov 1998 (UTC). (source: mailing-list-archive.cryptoanarchy.wiki)
- When did Wei Dai first appear in Bitcoin's history?
- Announced b-money on the cypherpunks list, 27 Nov 1998 (UTC). (source: mailing-list-archive.cryptoanarchy.wiki)
- Is Wei Dai cited in the Bitcoin whitepaper?
- Yes. Wei Dai is cited as reference [1] of the whitepaper (source: bitcoin.org).
- How was Wei Dai connected to Satoshi Nakamoto?
- Satoshi emailed him on 22 Aug 2008 to cite b-money. (source: gwern.net)
See also
- Satoshi NakamotoSatoshi Nakamoto: Creator of Bitcoin (pseudonym), active 2008–2011. Wrote the Bitcoin whitepaper (31 Oct 2008), mined the genesis block and released Bitcoin v0.1 (8 Jan 2009). Handed the project to other developers in December 2010 and stopped writing in April 2011. First known message: email to Adam Back, 20 Aug 2008.
- Timothy C. MayTimothy C. May: Writer and Intel scientist; founder of crypto-anarchism, co-founder of the cypherpunks. Wrote The Crypto Anarchist Manifesto in 1988 and co-founded the cypherpunks mailing list in 1992 with Eric Hughes and John Gilmore. Wei Dai's b-money opens with his name.
- Hal FinneyHal Finney: Cryptographer, first person besides Satoshi to run Bitcoin, recipient of the first transaction. Cypherpunk and PGP developer who built RPOW, his own proof-of-work currency. He ran Bitcoin from day one and received 10 BTC from Satoshi in block 170. First Bitcoin post: reply on the Cryptography list, 7 Nov 2008.
- Bitcoin whitepaper“Bitcoin: A Peer-to-Peer Electronic Cash System” is the 9-page paper by Satoshi Nakamoto, sent to a cryptography mailing list on 31 October 2008. It proposes electronic cash without a trusted third party, using proof-of-work to solve double-spending. The PDF is at bitcoin.org/bitcoin.pdf.
References
- mailing-list-archive.cryptoanarchy.wiki mailing-list-archive.cryptoanarchy.wiki
- weidai.com weidai.com
- b-money (1998) weidai.com
- Bitcoin whitepaper (bitcoin.org) bitcoin.org
- en.wikipedia.org en.wikipedia.org
- gwern.net gwern.net
- bitcointalk.org bitcointalk.org
- judiciary.uk judiciary.uk