London Calling: Is the Alan Turing £50 a Nod to Cryptocurrency?

Alan Turing 50 pound note is a nod to cryptocurrencySource: Bank of England (i), Shutterstock (ii). Image Edited by CCN.

This is probably going to sound silly, but hear me out: The Bank of Englands new £50 note featuring Alan Turing is a quiet nod to cryptocurrency.

What do you know about Alan Turing?

In multiple disciplines, you may have heard of him. He has the most prominence in cryptography and computer science but plays an essential role in military and LGBTQ+ history as well.

Is Fiat Money Turing Complete?

Turing was prosecuted for practicing homosexuality in the 1950s. The decade before, he had developed a system for breaking German ciphers and effectively assured allied victory.

Turings importance cannot be understated.

Now, in 2019, having been pardoned six years ago, the Bank of England wants to give Turing an honor: his portrait on the 50-pound note. They had almost 1,000 people in science to pick from, narrowed down to 12.

2019 is a particularly exciting year for cryptocurrency. The year of the Libra, weve finally seen people like President Donald Trump denigrate blockchain technology.

Facebooks entry seems to have awakened the powers that be. The theory that governmental dislike of crypto gives it value will soon be put to the test.

Talks that have long been the realm of obscure cryptocurrency discussion groups are now on the national stage: Are Silicon Valley companies actively trying to undermine the hegemony of the US military intervention complex?

Now 2019 is also the year that the Bank of England recognizes Alan Turing.

But why?

Bank of Englands Quiet Nod to Crypto united kingdom, bitcoinWith global influence waning, and the island nation moving towards political independence from the eurozone, could the 50-pound Turing be an invite to the nascent crypto economy? | Source: Shutterstock

Turing was one of 989 people who could have appeared on the £50. Notably, he beat out Ada Lovelace, widely credited with discovering the ability to program computerized machines.

Central bankers have focused on Turings contributions to computer science. While these are essential to his career, Turings cryptographic contributions had a bigger impact at the time.

Directly following the war that Turing helped win, the UK nationalized the Bank of England after over 200 years of independent operation. In the decades since, the UK has systematically lost m ...

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Tags: Alan Turing, Cryptocurrency, Bank of England, Cryptography, What Do You Know, Central bank, Turing completeness, Donald Trump, Ada Lovelace, Computer science