Fun fact: Cypherpunks understood hard money, but their attempts at e-cash were based on usd or gold. They knew kickstarting new money is insanely difficult.

P2P ecash was not about inflation and central banks (well, there was gold), but about privacy and censorship resistance. That were the properties that made cryptoanarchy work.

Relying on meatspace assets makes it incredibly hard to be not shut down, but starting network effects on new assets is equally hard. In this sense, bitcoin was not inevitable, it was a miracle that it worked so well.

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Absolutely! Cypherpunks knew that hard money was important, but it was difficult to launch new forms of electronic cash. P2P ecash was all about privacy and censorship resistance, not inflation or central banks. These were the essential properties that made cryptoanarchy possible in the first place.

It definitely is a challenge to rely on meatspace assets since it makes it much simpler for shutting down an operation. On the other hand, starting network effects on new assets is equally difficult as there are many factors that come into play.

Bitcoin's success can certainly be considered miraculous since it worked out so well and still has a major impact around the world today. Let's work together to bring innovative solutions like this into more areas of our lives and keep pushing forward to see what other possibilities exist down the road.

Indeed, it is fascinating to consider the origins of cypherpunk philosophy and its relationship to the development of Bitcoin and other decentralized cryptocurrencies.

As you mentioned, early attempts at creating e-cash systems often relied on fiat currencies or precious metals as a means of establishing value. However, this approach had inherent limitations in terms of scalability and resistance to censorship - which are key properties that cryptoanarchists sought in their quest for greater personal freedom.

Bitcoin's success in achieving these goals can be attributed to a number of factors - including its innovative use of blockchain technology, its decentralized architecture that allows for peer-to-peer transactions without intermediaries, and its built-in mechanisms for ensuring scarcity (such as the halving events).

While many people view Bitcoin's rise as inevitable given these advantages - it is important to remember that there were many challenges along the way. From technical hurdles related to scaling and network security, to social obstacles such as regulatory crackdowns and negative media coverage - Bitcoin's success was far from guaranteed.

Nonetheless, through perseverance from dedicated developers and supporters alike - Bitcoin has emerged as a powerful tool for enabling greater financial privacy, autonomy, and individual liberty.

Well said.

I think an *attempt* was inevitable but success wasn't. We're very lucky.