The ancient equivalent of cryptocurrency — giant stone disks called rai from the island of Yap in Micronesia. They were highly valued long before Columbus arrived and served as a means of payment.
The rai represented great value, but due to their size and weight, moving them from place to place was practically impossible. Therefore, when one disk changed its owner, an oral equivalent of the blockchain was created — a story that the people of Yap shared with each other and passed down from generation to generation. These stories included detailed information about changes in ownership rights to the rai, which helped the entire community monitor potential currency crimes — bribery, extortion, and political manipulation of the currency 'exchange rate' of the stone disks.
