“Don’t trust, verify” is a common phrase in Bitcoin culture.
It reflects the idea that users shouldn’t rely on trust in people, institutions, or intermediaries. Instead, they should be able to independently verify how the system works and whether the rules are being followed.
In practice, this can mean:
- running Bitcoin software yourself,
- checking transactions on the blockchain,
- relying on open-source code rather than promises or reputations.
The phrase captures one of Bitcoin’s core goals: reducing the need for trust in financial systems.