Crypto-Anarchy and Libertarian Entrepreneurship – Chapter 2: Public-Key Cryptography

Public-key cryptography is the greatest tool of liberty ever devised. Its discovery was revolutionary. Before then, all cryptography was just hacks. It was developed in 1973 by Ellis, Cocks, and Williamson at researchers at CGHQ in the UK, but this work was classified until 1997. It was developed independently 1976 by Rivest, Shamir, and Adleman at MIT. Their work was published, although it was protected by a patent until 2000. Finally it is free.

Part two of the four part essay.