The first two sentences of the Bitcoin whitepaper: > A purely peer-to-peer version of electronic cash would allow online payments to be sent directly from one

The first two sentences of the Bitcoin whitepaper: > A purely peer-to-peer version of electronic cash would allow online payments to be sent directly from one party to another without going through a financial institution. Digital signatures provide part of the solution, but the main benefits are lost if a trusted third party is still required...