Above All Waves: Wisdom from Tominaga Nakamoto, the Philosopher Rumored to Have Inspired Bitcoin

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Author: Chan, PaulThis book introduces English readers to the life and ideas of Tominaga Nakamoto, an 18th-century maverick Japanese philosopher who is rumoured to have been an ins piration for the inventor of Bitcoin, known only by the pseudonym Satoshi Nakamoto. Newly translated by Yuzo Sakuramoto, this title distills Tominaga’s most audacious writings into a set of quotes and passages that captures the forwarding-thinking quality of his thought. In January 2009, Satoshi released Bitcoin, a decentralised digital cash currency that allows anyone to use and develop its software. The rest is history. The identity of Satoshi remains a mystery to this day. But rumours during the early days of Bitcoin suggest Satoshi was inspired in part by Tominaga Nakamoto, an obscure and largely forgotten 'merchant' philosopher from the Edo period in Japan. Tominaga's philosophical and aesthetic ideas are radical even by today's standards. And it is not hard to see how his most vital insights echo in how Bitcoin functions as a cryptocurrency.A critical introduction by Paul Chan tells the story of Tominaga’s remarkable life and speculates on the rumoured relationship between Satoshi and Tominaga, as well as how Tominaga's outlook may have influenced how Bitcoin exists as a technology and cultural phenomenon. Artwork by Chan captures the spirit of Tominaga’s world and recasts the philosopher in compositions that express his enduring influence.ISBN 9781943263264. Badlands Unlimited. hb. 176 pages. 18 b/w ills. 25 x 17 cm.available Show more