Sources · documents, code and correspondence
Go to the original.
Read the story — then check what it rests on. These are starting points for independent research. Each article keeps its own specific references in its sources section.
12 resources · 4 sectionsEarly records
From a proposal to the first exchanges
Satoshi's white paper
Bitcoin: A Peer-to-Peer Electronic Cash System. The original proposal, not a summary or a guide to the current software.
bitcoin.orgOpen source ↗In a new tabPrimary source · EmailThe cryptography mailing-list announcement
Satoshi's October 31, 2008 email in the mailing-list archive. Neighbouring messages and the discussion thread provide context.
www.metzdowd.comOpen source ↗In a new tabPrimary source · ForumPizza for bitcoins?
The original thread proposing a bitcoin-for-pizza exchange. Read the replies, dates and later clarifications as well as the opening post.
bitcointalk.orgOpen source ↗In a new tabCode and specifications
Check what was proposed and changed
Bitcoin Core
Code, change history, discussions and releases. Historical claims need a specific version or commit: the main branch keeps changing.
github.comOpen source ↗In a new tabPrimary source · ProposalsBitcoin Improvement Proposals
BIP texts, authors, statuses and revision history. Inclusion in the repository does not by itself mean a proposal became an active network rule.
github.comOpen source ↗In a new tabPrimary source · SpecificationsLightning: BOLT
Lightning protocol documents and discussions of changes. The specifications evolve; check an implementation's behaviour against its code and version.
github.comOpen source ↗In a new tabDeveloper disclosures · SecurityBitcoin Core security advisories
Public vulnerability disclosures. Distinguish when a bug appeared, was fixed and was disclosed; a historical incident may not affect the current version.
bitcoincore.orgOpen source ↗In a new tabMessage and page archives
Find context that could have disappeared
The Complete Satoshi
Satoshi's emails and forum posts collected by the Nakamoto Institute. Useful for discovery; check dates, thread context and the original link where it survives.
satoshi.nakamotoinstitute.orgOpen source ↗In a new tabMailing-list archive · Developer discussionsBitcoin Development mailing-list archive
A public archive of technical discussions. An email records its author's proposal or view, not a decision accepted by the whole community.
groups.google.comOpen source ↗In a new tabArchival tool · Page snapshotsWayback Machine
Find saved versions of web pages. A capture date is not necessarily the publication date; a snapshot preserves content but does not prove it true.
web.archive.orgOpen source ↗In a new tabExplanatory material
Build context before reading the original
Bitcoin Developer Guides
Explanations of blocks, transactions, mining and nodes. A starting point for reading; check current implementation details against code and up-to-date documents.
developer.bitcoin.orgOpen source ↗In a new tabEditorial reference · Secondary sourceBitcoin Optech topics
A thematic index of technical coverage. Helps locate explanations and links to original discussions, proposals and code changes.
bitcoinops.orgOpen source ↗In a new tabEditorial approach
A link starts the check; it does not end it
Start with the original
For a historical claim, look for a document, email, participant's record or code. Explanatory coverage helps locate the source but does not replace it.
Keep the context
Check the date, author, discussion thread and software version. A proposal, an accepted change and a released version are different things.
Separate the evidence types
Label personal recollections and editorial hypotheses separately. A participant's statement does not by itself verify every circumstance it describes.
Keep links and attribution
Link to the original and, where needed, an archived copy. Do not pass off someone else's text as ours or treat a public link as a guarantee of accuracy.
This is a directory of external resources, not a complete local copy of their content. Third-party availability and content can change.
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