Early uses of the terms "assassination market" and "market for assassinations" can be found (in both positive and negative lights) in 1994's "The
Cyphernomicon" by
Timothy C. May, a
cypherpunk. The concept and its potential effects are also referred to as assassination politics, a term popularized by
Jim Bell in his 1995–96 essay of the same name. Early in part 1, Jim Bell describes the idea as: Bell then goes on to further specify the protocol of the assassination market in more detail. In the final part of his essay, Bell posits a market that is largely non-anonymous. He contrasts this version with the one previously described. Carl Johnson's attempt to popularise the concept of assassination politics appeared to rely on the earlier version. There followed an attempt to popularise the second in 2001 that is ongoing today. Technologies such as
Tor and
bitcoin have enabled online assassination markets, as described in parts one to nine of
Assassination Politics. == Assassination Market website ==