FROM CYBERPUNK TO CYPHERPUNK: THE TECHNICAL AND IDEOLOGICAL ROOTS OF BITCOIN

Year 2025, Volume: 25 Issue: 3, 495 - 510, 06.08.2025

Ramazan Bektaş , Kerim Eser Afşar , Ahmet Aydın Arı

https://doi.org/10.21121/eab.20250303

Abstract

Cryptocurrencies initially gained prominence by eliminating intermediaries in payment systems and later found applications in various business sectors. The crypto network, pioneered by Bitcoin, has spurred new business forms and organizational structures with diverse motivations. Bitcoin's emergence is technically dated to 2008. However, its ideological and technical roots trace back to the cyberpunk literature of the late 1970s and the cypherpunk movement that began in California in 1992. The cypherpunk manifestos significantly influenced cryptographic work, shaping Bitcoin's technical foundation. This study aims to explore Bitcoin's ideological origins through a qualitative content analysis of cypherpunk manifestos, Nakamoto's posts on the "Bitcointalk" forum, and "Cryptography Mailing List" correspondence. By examining these sources, the study identifies the historical dimensions of Bitcoin's technical structure and highlights the impact of ideological debates on its development. Findings reveal that while cryptographic research influenced Bitcoin's technical evolution, ideological discussions were relatively less significant. Nonetheless, Bitcoin's developers, particularly Nakamoto, incorporated a strong ideological emphasis on "privacy" despite the primary technical focus.

Keywords

Bitcointalk, Bitcoin, Ideology, Privacy, Cypherpunk

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