Did the Inca envision a blockchain system?

Recent studies reveal that Monte Sierpe, a site in Peru, functioned as an indigenous accounting system for the Inca Empire, strikingly resembling a modern blockchain. This 5,200-hole structure, hypothesized to be a barter marketplace, evolved into a tribute collection tool, allowing the Incas to track and verify resource exchanges without currency or writing. The holes served as public displays of information about goods contributed by various local communities, ensuring transparency and trust in transactions. Researchers note that the layout of holes corresponds to the Inca's khipu—a knotted string for record-keeping—indicating a sophisticated method of managing economic exchanges. Unlike the khipu, which required trust in record-keepers, Monte Sierpe provided a trustless public ledger, enabling large groups to organize without typical economic tools. Ultimately, this ancient structure underscores the Incas' understanding of public information systems, akin to modern blockchain technology, even if it lacked the historical immutability offered by contemporary digital ledgers.

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