WIRED Celebrates 32nd Anniversary of Cypherpunks Cover Story

Thirty-two years ago, WIRED published its second print edition featuring cypherpunks Tim May, Eric Hughes, and John Gilmore. Steven Levy's article, "Crypto Rebels," chronicles the Cypherpunk movement's origins in 1975 with the creation of public-key cryptography by Whitfield Diffie, Martin Hellman, and Ralph Merkle.

Main points include:

The US government previously controlled cryptography via the NSA, classifying it as a weapon.
Public-key cryptography enabled secure communication for citizens, challenging governmental control.
This technology underpins modern internet security, including email and cryptocurrency transactions.
MIT scientists developed RSA, improving upon government standards.
Phil Zimmermann faced legal challenges after creating Pretty Good Privacy (PGP), a free alternative to RSA.
Zimmermann's PGP was released widely, leading to his investigation for unauthorized export of munitions.
Exporting books containing source code was protected under the First Amendment, resulting in no charges against him.

The influence of cypherpunks is significant in cryptocurrency development, emphasizing the need for financial sovereignty and decentralized systems. The fight for accessible cryptography paved the way for Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies.