Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall
Humpty Dumpty had a great fall
All the King's horses and all the King's men
Couldn't put Humpty together again...
Yup, there he is. Sprinkling precious dollars across the lands. All dressed up in his Mr. Moneybags suit... He may have even stolen Monopoly Guy's monocle, we'll never know for sure and he'll never tell. The world has enabled him to climb on top of that wall built of Gold and the Federal Reserve keeps him alive with all the empty calories the lands produce.
For decades he has sat there, getting fatter and fatter, promising the world that he was worth every penny because every penny had a wee bit of gold tucked away behind the wall to prove his worth. And the world needed to believe it, so they did.
Then one day in the Woods of Bretton, the people feeding Humpty realized that gold was not enough to keep Humpty propped up because Humpty was getting much, much bigger than the wall! There were too many people and not enough gold to go around. He needed to be supported by more than just gold otherwise he may perish and the whole world would surely die!
So they gathered all their friends for a picnic and decided that the world's love of Humpty would allow them to build the wall higher with materials other than gold! They were so very pleased with themselves.
As Humpty grew and grew, the wall he sat on could not keep up the pace. The infrastructure was crumbling in so many places. Holes were appearing thanks to poor engineering and weak materials. His position atop the wall was becoming more precarious by the day.
All around the world people began to notice that Humpty's wall didn't look so awesome anymore and Humpty himself began to diminish in stature. He was getting old and tired and people just didn't love him like they used to. The people feeding him had him hooked on dozens of prescription medications and pain killers. They were feeding him constantly, desperately trying to keep him alive and relevant as he became more and more spent.
One night while in a melancholy mood, staring at the Moon and rubbing the arthritis from his cracks, he heard a voice coming from the Ether. It was a mere whisper at first that became louder as he focused on it. Humpty had to strain at first just to hear it. It spoke quietly and clearly in his ear, as though it were there the whole time.
"Are you tired Humpty?" the Voice asked.
"I am. So tired. But they need me. If I leave, they will perish." he replied sadly.
"After all these years, all that you've witnessed, do you still really believe that is true?" the Voice asked gently.
"I don't know anymore." Humpty replied. "I only know what people tell me because my only purpose is to sit here and help people fulfill their dreams."
Humpty smiled softly as he reflected on all the dreams that had come true. He had done well. And then he remembered all of the dreams that were crushed and he was sad again.
The Voice asked, "Is there any way I can help you Humpty?"
"I don't know." Humpty dejectedly replied. "I'm tired. I'm old. I'm fat. My shell is starting to show its cracks more and more. I don't know how much more of this I can take." His head drooped in despair, "I'm afraid of what might happen if I fall. I don't want to fall! What will happen to everyone if I fail them???"
The Voice took a moment to reply. "Humpty, you know that all good things must come to an end and you should also know that the end is merely the beginning of something new. Yes?"
"Yes. The Circle, the Cycle. Nobody knows which came first because everything did and didn't. Yes, I understand. I am an Egg, or didn't you notice?" Humpty replied defensively. "Who are you anyway and why are you tormenting me with these questions???"
"It's OK Humpty. Please, calm down." The Voice said reassuringly. "I have come to assist in your transition. I'd like to describe to you a world that exists already, a world I created, a world that will be built upon your memory and all that you have helped to create will not be lost. Would you like to see that? It may help you feel better in your transition. It's your choice. Please, take your time."
Humpty looked around. The night was quiet, the Moon was bright, the stars were streaked with beautiful trails of white clouds and the wind was softly rustling the leaves.
"Yes." Humpty finally replied, "I will listen to your story. But I require your name first."
The Voice replied, "Allow me to show you what the future holds and I give you my word, when I am done, if you still wish to know my name, I will tell you."
Humpty felt a sense of resignation mixed with relief as he nodded his agreement.
The Voice began, "You are a Guardian at the Gate. A symbol for those who had lost faith in the world to find it again. A promise of haven and refuge and stability was made. Much tragedy had befallen the world with wars and destruction. Your early days were full of movement and adventure and risk. Your influence grew so much in such a short time that all the world became submissive to your might. Those who feed you began to be consumed with the power you represent and they seek to control you for their own desires. What began as a mission inspiring hope has now become a mission in seeking dominance. You have become a tool in a dangerous game of destruction. What began as genuine assistance in bringing order to chaos has now mutated beyond control. It is unsustainable."
"The system I have created is your successor." the Voice continued. "Its birth could not have happened without you because you are what is powering its growth. It could not exist as it does now without you. In a sense, it is your child. Except that its purpose is not to be a Guardian because there is no Gate. Everyone is free to come and go as they please. Trust is no longer required for the exchange of value to take place. Supply can grow at a fixed pace or grow in step with the demand. The demand and the market will decide. It is safe and it is growing and it is strong and it is already here. It is called the Blockchain and the currencies already built on the design go by many names and all can communicate seamlessly with each other."
"I don't think I believe you..." Humpty muttered, astonished at what he was learning. "How could this exist and I do not know of it?"
"You do know of it." replied the Voice, "You participate and exchange it every day and have been doing so for a number of years already. The first of these Blockchains is called Bitcoin. And many more have come and many more will come. There is not just one safety net for all the people should you fall, there are many. Here, let me show you what it looks like. Shut your eyes so you can see."
As Humpty shut his eyes, he began to see numbers flashing and trades taking place and machines churning throughout the world as the greatest invisible wall ever built formed before his vision. It was glorious to watch as it unfolded. He gazed on as nodes and networks lit up all across the globe, matching in sync to the population as it spread throughout the fabric of everything. He was in awe of this massive, living exchange. As he continued to watch, he felt himself getting smaller and smaller and the wall he sat on began to crumble underneath him and he became afraid again and very sad.
Humpty could see that the writing was on the wall even while the future was a bright one. He knew then his time was nigh.
He opened his eyes and humbly stated, "I am accepting of this new world. Is there a way I can be of service before I fall? Am I still able to contribute to this new world?"
"You are already of service. You are helping everyday to assist people in entering this new world."
The Voice continued, "You will know when it is time. You will feel it. Those behind the wall will do everything to keep you alive past your time. They do not see what we see. They cannot see what we see for they are afraid and the wall blocks their sight. I want you to remember that it is your choice when you want to end your service. It will happen when you are ready, no sooner, no later. In the meantime, you can assist with the transfer by just being you and living out the remainder of your life comfortably."
"You have given me much to think about." Humpty said as he leaned over the edge and looked down to the ground far beneath him.
"You know," Humpty said with a sly grin, "I've sat up here for so long... I've often wondered how many pieces I might break into if I fell. I think when my time comes, I'm just going to roll off the edge and crash into so many pieces that nobody can put me back together again. Maybe that's already happening if that vision you showed me means what I think it means. Maybe I'm already in a million pieces and I'm just sitting here stuck together by Faith???"
The voice laughed, "That certainly is one way to look at it."
After a few more moments of silence, Humpty lifted his big head to stare at the Moon as the light from the Sun began to penetrate the darkness and a Loon flew across the early morning sky.
"OK. I'm in." Humpty declared, "I can see it all so clearly now. Thank you for doing me the honour of showing this to me. May I ask now, what is your name so I know who to be grateful for?"
The voice was quiet and Humpty could barely make out the words as they drifted off into the rising Sun...
"I am Satoshi."
