David Chaum is a cryptography pioneer who is recognized as the inventor of digital cash. Chaum’s 1982 dissertation is the first known proposal for a blockchain protocol, complete with the code to implement it. Chaum’s research proposed nearly every element of the blockchain later detailed in Satoshi’s Bitcoin whitepaper.
David Chaum also invented DigiCash, which is responsible for sending the first electronic payment via the internet in 1994. Chaum also launched electronic cash (known as Ecash) in 1994. Chaum is often referred to as the “godfather of crypto.”
David Chaum in the News
Interviews with David Chaum
- Bankless: Cryptographer David Chaum | Layer Zero
David Chaum FAQ
Could David Chaum be Satoshi?
There is no direct evidence linking Satoshi to David Charum. In addition, Chaum had already developed his own digital cash protocol, completely publicized, with no anonymity. As a result, it is unlikely he would adhere to the same secrecy Satoshi was famously known for.