Introducing Block Message: Put a Message in the EarthBucks Genesis Block (or Any Subsequent Block)

Today I’m happy to introduce Block Message, a new app for EarthBucks that lets you write a message to the next block, including the genesis block.

Satoshi Nakamoto famously included a message in the genesis block of Bitcoin:

The Times 03/Jan/2009 Chancellor on brink of second bailout for banks

Putting a recent message in the genesis block, or other blocks, is a way to ground the blockchain in verifiable current events. By referencing some recent event, such as the “second bailout for banks,” anyone can verify that the block must have been produced after the event.

People have asked me what message I would like to put in the genesis block of EarthBucks. I have decided instead of simply putting my own message in the genesis block, I would like to give everyone the opportunity to put a message in the genesis block.

Block Message is a new protocol for stamp-chained messages in the coinbase transaction of every block. Each block message is hashed twice and put inside of a block message header. Each block message header includes the hash of the previous block message header, so the messages are chained together. When blocks are mined, the most recent block message header is included in the coinbase transaction of the block. The ID of a block header is the double hash of the block message header.

Block Messages are similar to the message in the genesis block of Bitcoin, but there can be any number of them (because only the most recent ID is included in the coinbase transaction). They are also not limited to the genesis block. As of this writing, a few users have already discovered the new feature. There are 7 block messages already to be included in the upcoming genesis block.

The very first message I have inserted into the genesis block is:

“This is the way. Alistairs mum is buying while lettuce hands selling hodl and BTFD” - Adam Back, X, Jul 5, 2024

This is the most recent xeet from Adam Back as of the time I posted it. As we get near the genesis block, I will add more mesages with timely information, ideally including at least one verifiable message immediately prior to mining the genesis block. Please feel free to help by adding your own messages.

Note that the double hash of each message is included in each block header, meaning data can be pruned (deleted) if necessary, similar to transaction data. However, if anyone retains the data, it can be forever proven that the message was included in the block.

To use Block Message, simply sign in to EarthBucks (need to sign up first?) and go to the Block Message page. Messages are free, formatted with Markdown and TeX, but limited to 400 characters.