Core seemed to form in 2013/14 after btc drak, ptodd, lukejr, nullc, met in irc bitcoin chatrooms and all became best buds, this was after some of them made and lost money with various pump and dump schemes and bitcoin prices crashed from our all time high. You know have a group of coders that hang out in their own secret chatroom, make plans and determine implementation, and then publicly support one another. More of a cabal than anything else, since most are paid by blockstream this creates a strong suspicion of corruption. Essentially, bitcoin core developed because of money, imho the falling price. Story time.
So, there was group of computer coders, full of lofty ideals and morals who decided to join and undertake a great quest to help write and save software called Bitcoin. At it's early inception, after it's King took off his crown, fled to the countryside, he left his mandate under the care and patronage of one person. Under that person's LEADERSHIP the technology underlying bitcoin along with the overall landscape grew and flourished. Based on proposals and the direction of the technology and what would happen in the near term (i.e., not distant future) businesses decided to enter the bitcoin workspace. They joined expecting the kingdom to flourish, for more peasants to join, for more homes to be built, and critically, for trade to flourish.
There came a point during this tale, when more vocal members of the computer coders of this merry bunch of visionaries who wrote and cared for the aging Bitcoin began to have disagreements. This seemed to primarily start after the second person to hold the reigns of Bitcoin abdicated the throne but who would stay on as an advisor. Although he passed on the reigns, his successors for they were more a cabal than any one individual, lacked the leadership qualities to share their vision with the rest of the kingdom. This may have been due to ideological ideas about purity or the heavy bag of coins slid across the tavern table, but ultimately the view and ideal of what bitcoin is, what purpose it serves, and how to protect that purpose, began to change and those in charge of this mission became insular.
Although power was shared equally and all were welcome to sit at their round table, some began to grow weary of contrary opinions, some began to question outside opinions, and worse, some began to question the leadership of the council and to question whether the world was flat and really revolved around the sun. The door to the kingdom was said to be open and anyone could attend, but then they changed meeting rooms, to hide and plot in the dark recesses of the night. When others tried to enter they were greeted with honeyed words while the council members sharpened their daggers.
And then the schism; like any good dictatorship, the war was waged in earnest on all fronts, with flat out attacks of rival kingdoms, political intrigue, and the purchasing of silence. Power was consolidated, bigger doors were installed, and the locks were changed. This was all for the good of the purity of bitcoin; it needed to be protected from the evil usurpers who would corrupt it's innocence. Once everyone else was locked out of the castle, the knight's of the core table could do what they want and continued to act with impunity. Meanwhile, outside the confine and comfort of the castle, the peasants grew hungry, the town over crowded a line developed outside the gate. The guards began to charge an entrance fee, merchants concerned over rising expenses laid off employees and tightened their belts. All will be well the council cried and dissent was met with the cruel cudgel of being branded a secessionist. Meanwhile, the peasants are getting hungrier, the merchants slowly their supply of goods, and the guards have become concerned about the long line of peasants threatening to leave for a different town.
Come see this magic trick, filled with lightning and thunder decried the council. But the peasants decided to stay home; too hungry to celebrate and enjoy the mirth promised. Due to declining coffers, the council cut the wages of the guards in half and as such, the Guards demanded a meeting with the council to talk about the line outside the gate. To many had heard of the fabled towns across the way. Some towns with no line to get in; other towns with no merchant guilds and free trade, and some kingdoms even nearly as big as this one just ruled by a king not a council and almost as prosperous. The guards were getting scared of a revolt, after all there were more peasants than guards outside the gates waiting to get in. Instead the council said, not at this meeting, this is for feasting and ordered the nay-sayers banned and more refreshments brought by. Maybe at the next meeting behind close doors will the guards get to address the ever growing line. Maybe next month.
