"The credential that establishes someone as real is the ability to supply CPU power."
- Satoshi
https://www.metzdowd.com/pipermail/cryptography/2008-November/014860.html
He is referring to identity within the Bitcoin mining system.
It occurs to me that:
In the political world, the credential that establishes someone as real is the ability to supply violence.
This violence may be direct or delegated, wide or limited, open or hidden, embraced or disavowed, demanded or inspired, but it must. be. present.
In the same way that Bitcoin mining ignores all identities other than those that supply CPU power, politics ignores all identities other than those that supply physical force.
On top of Bitcoin mining, we can build addresses, transactions, identities, property rights, immutable publishing, and secure communication.
On top of violence, we can build towns, cities, temples, polities, law courts, houses, families, and futures.
But: Without a foundation, nothing can stand.