Encrypting messages to safeguard them against unauthorised access has long been at the core of modern technologies like cryptocurrency and blockchains, yet its roots date much further back than this. From ancient symbol replacement to quantum cryptography - its history speaks volumes of humanity's longstanding quest for secure communication.

Cryptography in Ancient Times

Cryptography can be traced back to early civilizations, when primitive techniques were devised to protect communications. Egypt and Mesopotamian writings provide early evidence of symbol substitution dating back 3,900 years; one instance can be found in Khnumhotep II's tomb - although his uses of cryptography more for aesthetic than secrecy purposes.

At least 3,500 years ago, cryptography first made its debut to protect sensitive information: A Mesopotamian scribe encrypted pottery glaze formulae onto clay tablets as an early form of encryption. By late antiquity however, cryptography had become an invaluable means of protecting military secrets; one example being Ancient Sparta where encrypted messages would be written onto parchment wrapped around cylindrical objects of specific dimensions that could only be deciphered when wrapped around another similar one of that size cylinder - similar methods would then have been employed during WW II for safe keeping military secrets!

Ancient India began using coded messages as early as 2nd century BCE; however, Romans far outshone them by devising and employing sophisticated ciphering systems such as Caesar cipher. This system involved shifting letters within messages with irregular positions within alphabet, so recipients who knew these shifting patterns could decrypt messages easily.

Cryptography in Medieval Europe and Renaissance

Substitution ciphers like Caesar Cipher became increasingly influential across medieval Europe; around 800 CE however, cryptanalysis emerged as an independent field - Al-Kindi introduced frequency analysis, an innovative technique for decrypting substitution ciphers by studying their frequency within text documents - thus forcing cryptography forward while keeping its effectiveness.

Leone Alberti made history when he introduced polyalphabetic encryption methods in 1465; these pioneering innovations utilized multiple alphabets to encode messages, making frequency analysis much harder to decrypt them. When combined together with substitution ciphers and polyalphabetic techniques, messages could now be encrypted more securely.

Renaissance innovations included advancements such as binary encoding. Sir Francis Bacon invented one early system in 1623 which served as a blueprint for future advancements in digital cryptography.

Cryptography’s Progress in Modern Times

Cryptography's Progression in Modern Times Cryptography saw great strides during the 18th and 19th centuries, led by Thomas Jefferson with his revolutionary "cipher wheel" concept of 36 rotating letters which revolutionized American military cryptography up until World War II even though no physical creation took place during his life or any subsequent one.

World War II catapulted cryptography to new heights through Axis powers' use of Enigma machines - analog encryption devices composed of rotating wheels which encrypted messages into near impossible formats for opponents without matching machines to decipher without special software - an effort which ultimately contributed greatly towards victory while opening up an entirely new field of cryptology research and practice. Early computers played an instrumental role in breaking through Enigma's encryption scheme to aid victory while ushering in an age of cryptographic research and practice that continues today.

The Digital Revolution in Cryptography

Computers have revolutionized encryption techniques tremendously. Modern systems use 128-bit encryption, offering significantly greater protection than analog methods of security. Researchers began exploring quantum cryptography using quantum mechanical principles as early as 1990 for even further communications protection.

Cryptography was instrumental to the rise of cryptocurrencies. Advanced tools, including hash functions, public-key cryptography, and digital signatures serve as part of blockchain technology's foundation for secure data storage, authentication transactions and protection from unauthorized access.

Bitcoin and similar cryptocurrencies rely on an innovative cryptographic technique known as Elliptic Curve Digital Signature Algorithm (ECDSA), which increases security by verifying ownership without disclosing private keys; only those authorized can gain access to assets.

Cryptography Has Been Revolutionised

From simple symbol replacement in Ancient Egypt to cutting-edge cryptographic techniques used by today's digital systems, cryptography has undergone extraordinary change over the centuries. Cryptographic methods used today by cryptocurrency blockchains represent some of the most sophisticated tools ever devised while being part of an established tradition dating back millennia.