Crypto and Trust

Old way You write a number in a book The bank holds the book You trust the bank

New way You write a number in a block A thousand strangers hold the block You trust the math

A block is a page A page is a list of trades A list with a fingerprint A fingerprint called a hash

Change one number The fingerprint changes The block screams The chain rejects

So you cannot lie quietly You cannot lie loudly either A thousand copies are watching A thousand copies say no

THE LEDGER LIVES IN A THOUSAND MACHINES! THE LEDGER LIVES IN A THOUSAND MACHINES! NO VAULT, NO KING, NO CLERK BEHIND A SCREEN, THE LEDGER LIVES IN A THOUSAND MACHINES!

Decentralized That's the word No one tower No one cord

Every block points at the last Linked tight, no take-backs Mess with one, you mess them all Math says nope, math says fall

(quiet) You don't trust a person You don't trust a place You trust a number that nobody can fake Without breaking every block in the case

THE LEDGER LIVES IN A THOUSAND MACHINES! THE LEDGER LIVES IN A THOUSAND MACHINES! A LOCKED-UP PAGE, A SHARED-OUT SCENE, THE LEDGER LIVES IN A THOUSAND MACHINES!

Past the free money Past the magic dust It's a way to keep a list Without anyone to trust

That's the trick That's the whole entire trick A page that everyone holds A fingerprint that everyone checks

(whisper) Hash the block Stack the block Mine the block Lock the block

The chain remembers The chain remembers The chain remembers What no one alone could prove