Research Suggests e-cash.org Was an Early Version of Bitcoin Before Satoshi Nakamoto Chose Its Name

Bitcoin was proposed by the pseudonymous developer Satoshi Nakamoto. Its white paper, published in October 2008, outlined a peer-to-peer electronic cash system that did not rely on financial institutions. Tracing early domain registrations and draft names could clarify how the crypto asset's concept evolved before it was formally named Bitcoin.

After comparing domain records with early drafts of Nakamoto's paper, a Bitcoin history researcher noted that e-cash.org was registered on July 20, 2008, 29 days before bitcoin.org was registered on August 18, 2008. The draft's wording also closely matches the domain name, suggesting that “e-cash” may once have been a candidate name for the system.