Despite being sometimes presented as such, Bitcoin did not emerge in isolation. The first cryptoasset had many precursors that either tried to accomplish the same goal or developed similar technology for other purposes. None of them achieved mainstream adoption like Bitcoin, but they directly influenced how cryptoassets developed, even beyond Bitcoin’s conception.
This chapter illustrates how today’s cryptoassets are the result of four decades of innovation and development. As such, they result from many trials, ...
