Excerpt from an email by Satoshi Nakamoto.
Subject: Bitcoin v0.1 released
Datetime: Fri Jan 16 11:03:14 EST 2009
It contains some ideas on initial applications of blockchain-as-money.
---
I would be surprised if 10 years from now we're not using electronic currency in some way, now that we know a way to do it that won't inevitably get dumbed down when the trusted third party gets cold feet.
It could get started in a narrow niche like reward points, donation tokens, currency for a game or micropayments for adult sites. Initially it can be used in proof-of-work applications for services that could almost be free but not quite.
It can already be used for pay-to-send e-mail.
...
Subscription sites that need some extra proof-of-work for their free trial so it doesn't cannibalize subscriptions could charge bitcoins for the trial.
---
Source:
https://www.metzdowd.com/pipermail/cryptography/2009-January/015014.html