DigiCash was founded in 1990 by cryptologist David Chaum (site apparently not updated in recent years...) who owned the two (three?) major patents covering completely anonymized digital cash. To my knowledge it still isn't certain whether it's possible to create a truly anonymous digital money scheme without violating these patents.
Like you said, David is a great mathematician, and an even greater evangelist/idealist (i once attended a lecture of his on cryptology protocols which he turned into a sort of political rally). But he wasn't an unqualified succes as a bussinessman (ahem). Due to various mismanagement problems Digicash went broke in 1998. About a year ago, all Digicash IP (including the patents, source code and the url) was bought out of the brankcupty by startup eCash Technologies inc., located in Seattle.
Though superficially somewhat similar to something like PayPal, this system, should it become viable, will have a far wider impact. Truly anonymous digital cash with a high solvability is something that will strike fear into the heart of every government economist on the planet. Should it ever become implemented, it will change the nature of the internet, and society itself won't escaped unharmed either.
That being said, they don't appear to have made much progress yet in securing deals with major financial institutions, which will probably be a neccesity to make it a success.
Slashdot Mirror
DigiCash was founded in 1990 by cryptologist David Chaum (site apparently not updated in recent years...) who owned the two (three?) major patents covering completely anonymized digital cash. To my knowledge it still isn't certain whether it's possible to create a truly anonymous digital money scheme without violating these patents.
Like you said, David is a great mathematician, and an even greater evangelist/idealist (i once attended a lecture of his on cryptology protocols which he turned into a sort of political rally). But he wasn't an unqualified succes as a bussinessman (ahem). Due to various mismanagement problems Digicash went broke in 1998. About a year ago, all Digicash IP (including the patents, source code and the url) was bought out of the brankcupty by startup eCash Technologies inc., located in Seattle.
Though superficially somewhat similar to something like PayPal, this system, should it become viable, will have a far wider impact. Truly anonymous digital cash with a high solvability is something that will strike fear into the heart of every government economist on the planet. Should it ever become implemented, it will change the nature of the internet, and society itself won't escaped unharmed either.
That being said, they don't appear to have made much progress yet in securing deals with major financial institutions, which will probably be a neccesity to make it a success.
Go here for a good list of ecash related links.