David Chaum and Adam Back Reflect On The 90s Crypto Wars

In this episode of Unchained Podcast, Laura Shin interviews old-time cryptographers David Chaum, the inventor of eCash, and CEO of xx network, and Adam Back, the inventor of Hashcash and CEO of Blockstream. They talk about their involvement in digital currency during the crypto wars well before Bitcoin.

They also discuss:

• How they became enamored with the idea of digital currency.
• The crypto wars of the 1990s.
• The U.S. government’s attempts to control access to advanced cryptography.
• The creation of Bitcoin precursors Digicash and eCash.
• The demise of Digicash.
• The origins of the idea and development of Hashcash.
• Their initial reactions to learning about Bitcoin for the first time.
• How they think Bitcoin might improve in the future.
• The stock-to-flow valuation model, and where they think BTC price will go next.

The podcast was originally published on August 18, 2020.