The term blockchain is composed of two words “block” and “chain”, which in its entirety refers to a chain of blocks. In this structure, a variety of data can be stored, including information about financial transactions, crime statistics, and various bank network data, etc.
The concept of blockchain has been around for decades, but it was first introduced in 1991 by Stuart Haber and W. Scott Stornetta. These two researchers worked on the idea of building a secure chain of cryptographic blocks.
1991: A chain of cryptographically secure blocks was described by Stuart Haber and W. Scott Stornetta.
1998: Nick Szabo, a computer scientist, started working on a decentralized digital currency called “Golden Bits”, creating a personal blockchain.
2000: Stephen Knest published a theory about secure cryptographic chains.
2008: A pseudonymous developer named Satoshi Nakamoto published a white paper presenting a model of a blockchain.
2009: Nakamoto implemented the first blockchain as a ledger for transactions made using Bitcoin.
2014: Blockchain technology was separated from currency and its potential for other financial and inter-organizational transactions was explored. Blockchain 2.0 was born, referring to applications beyond currency.
If you are looking to know the first people who proposed the idea of blockchain, the names of Stuart Haber and W. Scott Stornetta are mentioned as the creators of blockchain. The two researchers first came up with the idea of a secure chain of blocks with cryptography in 1991. As one of the creators of blockchain, Stuart Haber won the Discover Award for Computer Software in 1992 with an article he co-authored with W. Scott Stornetta. He is one of the famous personalities in the field of privacy and cryptography and has been engaged in research in this field.
Currently, Stornetta works as a fellow in the Creative Destruction Lab at the University of Toronto’s Rotman School of Management. He is one of the participants in the science and technology-based startup accelerator in this faculty. Storenta is also a founding partner and senior scientist at Yugen Partners, a blockchain-focused venture capital firm that advises investors on blockchain startup opportunities and governments on blockchain policy. He is also managing Blockchain Consultants of America.
Satoshi Nakamoto is credited as the first person to introduce blockchain as a technology in the real world. Although the exact identity of this character is still unknown, he is introduced as the creator of blockchain. Originally, this technology was first implemented by Stuart Haber and W. Scott Stornetta, the same two researchers mentioned earlier. So, in other words, the creator of the blockchain is considered a new inventor for the blockchain whenever a new cryptocurrency is added to this technology.
To become one of the activists in the field of blockchain, you can enter the world of cryptocurrencies. On the other hand, blockchain programming has also become very popular these days. By entering the field of blockchain programming, one day you may be known as a blockchain creator and your name will be brought next to the great people in this field, such as the creator of Dogecoin!