Archaeologists are arguing that a pre-modern stone money used by Micronesian islanders resembles a precursor to bitcoin and distributed ledger technology.
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Archaeologists Highlight Similarities Between Micronesian Stone Money and Bitcoin
Scott Fitzpatrick, an archaeologist at the University of Oregon in Eugene, has argued that a stone form of money used by inhabitants of the Micronesian island of Yap, at least several hundred years ago, comprises a predecessor to bitcoin and blockchain technology. “Stone money transactions on Yap were the precursor to Bitcoin and blockchain technologies,” Mr. Fitzpatrick stated.
During April’s annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology in Washington, D.C., Mr. Fitzpatrick elaborated on his theory, stating: “Centuries ago in western Micronesia, Yapese islanders began traveling to the Palauan archipelago to carve their famous stone money from limestone, which they then transported back to use in a variety of social transactions. While commonly referred to as ‘money’, these disks were not currency in the strict sense, though their value is not dissimilar to other traditional and modern objects where worth is arbitrary based on both real and perceived attributes (e.g., size, shape, quality, pedigree, or other factors). These characteristics have corollaries in today’s society for material culture and electronic cryptocurrencies that use blockchain technology—essentially, digital ledgers that track financial transactions in real time across a computer network to ensure that they are seamless and incorruptible.”
According to Science News, each limestone disk, or “rai,” was “assigned a value based on size, evenness of shape, stone quality and risks taken on the journey. After being inspected and verified by a local chief, rai were displayed at communal spots, such as ritual dancing grounds. Ownership of a disk could be
