Really interesting article published in Wired Magazine back in 1994.
I love this quote at the beginning:
The killer application for electronic networks isn't video-on-demand. It's going to hit you where it really matters - in your wallet. Digital cash, e-money, bit bucks...whatever you call it, not only will it revolutionize the Net, it will change the global economy.
I know the article is really long, but I find it enjoyable reading about the pre-bitcoin work that led up to it. There is a great discussion of David Chaum and his work. I guess he was referred to as "The Digital Money Man."
If you can't invest the time to read the whole thing, I think it's worth a skim.