1983: The internet was invented and for the first time in history allowed us to move information anywhere in the world, instantaneously.
2009: Bitcoin was invented and for the first time in history allowed us to move value anywhere in the world, instantaneously.
The ability to send value digitally anywhere in the world without a centralized authority (bank or multiple banks) having to keep track of who had what and if the transactions are valid.
Bitcoin is not some get rich quick scheme for tech bros (though sometimes it’s used that way). It’s literally the first technology we’ve ever had in the history of the planet, that allows us to instantly move value across the world.
Let’s say I know a secret word and I choose to tell it to you. Now we both know the secret word. That’s exchange of information. That’s what the internet offers - exchanging information over space and time by using a network of computers. And people were very skeptical of it at first.
Now let’s say you’ve got a special rock, and we agree that I’m going to hand the rock to you. Now you have the rock and I don’t. This is different from exchanging information because in that instance we both got to keep the information.
Prior to 2009 there was no way to send that special rock over a computer network so you have it and I do not. The founder of bitcoin was the first ever to solve it digitally without using a centralized authority like a bank or multiple banks.
Satoshi, the also created for the first time ever the concept of digital scarcity - something on a network of computers that could not be copied and pasted.
Does it matter that we can now move value around the world outside of banks or the government?
Maybe. I’ll talk more about that on other pages.