Summary
Bitcoin: A Peer-to-Peer Electronic Cash System by Satoshi Nakamoto introduces the concept of Bitcoin, a decentralised digital currency that allows online payments to be sent directly from one party to another without going through a financial institution. Interestingly, it also draws attention to one of the network's weaknesses, namely the reliance on the majority of CPU power being controlled by honest nodes to maintain security.Our verdict
Bitcoin: A Peer-to-Peer Electronic Cash System is a seminal work that is essential reading for anyone serious about understanding the underpinnings of cryptocurrency and blockchain technology. The proof-of-work mechanism and the approach to decentralised consensus introduced in this paper have inspired numerous other blockchain projects, including Ethereum, Dogecoin and Litecoin.