Ben Franklin would have loved Bitcoin. Franklin designed America's first coin, the Fugio cent in 1787. Fugio (I flee). Mind Your Business.
It was a framework for trust, a republic built on people who could govern themselves without needing a king. We can't survive on authority alone, we survive on citizens who can govern themselves while still holding faith in one another. A republic is a system that runs on character, not coercion.
While he never explained it, the meaning fits his lifelong themes:
Time passes quickly.
Freedom depends on discipline.
Trust must be earned between equals.
