Original Bitcoin Laboratory · measure from the origin
Pick an origin. Pick a moment in history. See every version that existed then and how far each stood from it. The origin is a choice, not a fact — so choose it, and watch the distances change. This measures distance, not identity: which network “is” Bitcoin has no factual answer.
Distance = the number of axes (of nine) on which a version’s value differs from the
chosen origin’s. It is neutral: adding a safety check (MoneyRange) and
removing a feature (disabling opcodes) both change a value, so both add distance — nothing here
is ranked better or worse.
Choose whitepaper and everything reads 0: the design constrains none of these
implementation axes — it does not discriminate. Choose nov08 and v0.1.0 is
already 2 (it differs on the unit and the proof‑of‑work) — so v0.1.0 is the zero
point only when you choose it as the origin.
From 26 Jul 2026 two more appear — the lab’s own reconstructions NOV08-X
and JAN09-X, MODEL builds carrying the full original vocabulary (nothing disabled)
under each constitution. Under nov08, NOV08-X reads 0; under
v0.1.0, JAN09-X reads 1 — it differs only by re‑opening the one
opcode v0.1 disabled. They are candidates for reference, not "the real Bitcoin."
Companion: Is it a Bitcoin? — a reasoning compass that maps any object onto the seven senses of the word, honest about where the answer is convention rather than fact.