I knew about many of the projects and communities that built up to the invention of bitcoin but I never took the time to study them in detail.  nostr:npub1art8cs66ffvnqns5zs5qa9fwlctmusj5lj38j94lv0ulw0j54wjqhpm0w5 has laid down the definitive prehistory of bitcoin. If you want to know the path ahead it really helps to know the path that came before.