From Amulets, via Magical Elixirs and Indulgences, to Bitcoin

If we look at human history, we can see that technology is constantly changing, societies evolve, and civilizations rise and fall. But one thing remains surprisingly constant: the ease of getting other people’s money by playing on human fear, ignorance, trust, or the desire for a better life. Throughout history, this was done through amulets, magic elixirs, indulgences, false promises of wealth, fraudulent investments, and numerous other methods of exploiting human vulnerability. Today, the meth