re: IMP-interest folks [...] it seemed unlikely that a group of such hobbyists could build a real digicash system while avoiding Chaum's work! Well, the IMP people weren't tring to build digicash, but rather do internet commerce. Cash and anonymity were discussed, but were not considered central to the program. (2.) It seems to me that that e-cash, contrary to the status quo's thinking,
is *critical* to internet commerce.
Of course crypto and true digital cash is central....this is our whole message, nearly. When I responded directly to the original message, I claimed that it wasn't central to internet commerce. I was speaking there about the realpolitik of deployment. Internet commerce can and might happen without anonymity. That doesn't make it any less central to my own and other's desire that it be present and available. Eric