My friend nostr:npub1veg83xv7lkehhdswrgc986ts7ru2qd839lythvv3swyjfdskk8pstze3p6 directed me to this 2017 ACM paper that reconstructs the academic foundations Sathoshi Nakamoto used to develop the Bitcoin protocol.

Even for non-experts, the article is incredibly accessible and fascinating, while being a worthwhile read for experts and long-time bitcoiners as well.

The paper also jogged my memory. It mentioned Guardtime, and I recalled writing to CEO Mike Gault in 2008 after seeing a Merkle root inside an ad on the front page of the Financial Times. I was quite excited by this simple yet powerful concept that I wanted a job there.

Link to the ACM paper:

https://queue.acm.org/detail.cfm?id=3136559