▁being ▁the ▁combination ▁of ▁seven ▁distinct ▁discipl ines : ▁crypt ography , ▁software ▁engineering , ▁rights , ▁account ing , ▁govern ance , ▁value , ▁and ▁financial ▁applications . ▁Business ▁fail ures ▁can ▁often ▁be ▁trac ed ▁to ▁the ▁absence ▁of ▁one ▁or ▁more ▁of ▁these ▁discipl ines , ▁or ▁to ▁poor ▁application ▁of ▁them . ▁ ▁This ▁views ▁Fin an cial ▁crypt ography ▁as ▁an ▁appropri ately ▁cross - dis cipl ine ▁subject . ▁Indeed , ▁in ev it ably ▁so , ▁given ▁that ▁fin ance ▁and ▁crypt ography ▁are ▁each ▁built ▁upon ▁multiple ▁discipl ines . ▁ ▁History ▁ ▁C rypt ograph ers ▁think ▁the ▁field ▁origin ated ▁from ▁the ▁work ▁of ▁Dr ▁David ▁Cha um ▁who ▁invent ed ▁the ▁blind ▁signature . ▁The ▁blind ▁signature ▁is ▁a ▁special ▁form ▁of ▁a ▁crypt ographic ▁signature ▁which ▁allowed ▁virtual ▁co ins ▁to ▁be ▁signed ▁without ▁the ▁sign er ▁seeing ▁the ▁actual ▁coin . ▁It ▁permitted ▁a ▁form ▁of ▁digital ▁token ▁money ▁that ▁prevent ed ▁trace ability . ▁This ▁form ▁is ▁sometimes ▁known ▁as ▁digital ▁currency . ▁Similar ▁concepts ▁are ▁now ▁being ▁applied ▁to ▁modern ▁block chain ▁techn ologies . ▁ ▁A ▁system ▁that ▁was ▁widely ▁used ▁during ▁the ▁ 1 9 7 0 s - 1 9 9 0 s ▁and ▁previously ▁developed ▁crypt ographic ▁mechanism ▁is ▁the ▁Data ▁Enc ryption ▁Standard , ▁which ▁was ▁used ▁primarily ▁for ▁the ▁protection ▁of ▁electronic ▁funds ▁trans fers . ▁However , ▁it ▁was ▁the ▁work ▁of ▁David ▁Cha um ▁that ▁excited ▁the ▁crypt ography ▁community