Subject: Re: Bitcoin v0.1 released

From: "Satoshi Nakamoto" <[email-masked]>
Date: Fri, 16 Jan 2009 03:10:44 +0800

> I've had that address for a while though so hopefully my dhcp
> client is being successful at renewing and not losing my address.
> It does change from time to time, but that address should be good
> for a while.
  
There's at least one node who's inbound IP keeps changing all the
time within the same class B.  Maybe every time the program is
run.  I wasn't expecting that.

Do you mind if I CC the rest of this to bitcoin-list or
Cryptography?

BTW, bitcoin-list is:
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> Dustin D. Trammell wrote:
> > Satoshi Nakamoto wrote:
> > You know, I think there were a lot more people interested in the 90's,
> > but after more than a decade of failed Trusted Third Party based systems
> > (Digicash, etc), they see it as a lost cause. I hope they can make the
> > distinction that this is the first time I know of that we're trying a
> > non-trust-based system.
>
> Yea, that was the primary feature that caught my eye. The real trick
> will be to get people to actually value the BitCoins so that they become
> currency.
 
Hal sort of alluded to the possibility that it could be seen as a
long-odds investment.  I would be surprised if 10 years from now
we're not using electronic currency in some way, now that we know
a way to do it that won't inevitably get dumbed down when the TTP
gets cold feet.

Even if it doesn't take off straight away, it's now available for
use by the next guy who comes up with a plan that needs some kind
of token or electronic currency.  It could get started in a closed
system or narrow niche like reward points, donation tokens,
currency for a game or micropayments for adult sites.  Once it
gets bootstrapped, there are so many applications if you could
effortlessly pay a few cents to a website as easily as dropping
coins in a vending machine. 

It can already be used for pay-to-send e-mail.  The send dialog is
resizeable and you can enter as long of a message as you like.
It's sent directly when it connects.  The recipient doubleclicks
on the transaction to see the full message.  If someone famous is
getting more e-mail than they can read, but would still like to
have a way for fans to contact them, they could set up Bitcoin and
give out the IP address on their website.  "Send X bitcoins to my
priority hotline at this IP and I'll read the message personally."

Subscription sites that need some extra proof-of-work for their
free trial so it doesn't cannibalize subscriptions could charge
bitcoins for the trial.

Satoshi