Apr 07•2 min read
Bitcoin Seed: The Apple Of Satoshi's Eye
NFT LINK: https://gamma.io/collections/chronicled/49
It has recently come to light that Apple has included a PDF copy of the Bitcoin whitepaper in every copy of MacOS shipped since 2017. The PDF can be found within the Virtual Scanner II function of the Image Capture Utility, which is not enabled by default.
The discovery was made by a user named bernd178 on the MacOS Community Forum in April 2021. However, it was not until recently that blogger Andy Baio published the findings on his blog Waxy. The PDF can be opened by entering specific commands into the terminal app.
The Bitcoin whitepaper is a seminal document that introduced the concept of a decentralized, peer-to-peer electronic cash system to the world. It was written by an anonymous person or group using the pseudonym Satoshi Nakamoto and published in 2008.
The inclusion of the whitepaper in MacOS is a mystery, as it is unclear why Apple chose to include it over other documents. One theory is that it was included as a convenient, lightweight multipage PDF for testing purposes, never meant to be seen by end users.
Another theory is that it was an internal act of defiance by a coder working at Apple. Craig Wright, a man who claims to be Satoshi Nakamoto, has been attempting to copyright the Bitcoin whitepaper and has been suing places that host it. Apple may have included the whitepaper as a way of showing its support for the Bitcoin community and as a statement against Wright's copyright claims.
Whatever the reason may be, the inclusion of the Bitcoin whitepaper in every copy of MacOS shipped since 2017 is a significant development. It highlights the growing influence of cryptocurrencies and their underlying technology, blockchain, in mainstream culture.
It remains to be seen whether Apple will remove the PDF from future versions of MacOS or if it will continue to include it. The company has not yet responded to requests for comment on the matter.
Author: thelight.btc, chronicled🕮.btc
Digital collectibles: https://gamma.io/collections/chronicled
