Who is Hal Finney

Harold Thomas Finney II was a software engineer in PGP and an early member of the Cypherpunks. Finney was a notable advocate of cryptography and digital privacy.

He was an early bitcoin contributor and received the first bitcoin transaction from bitcoin's creator Satoshi Nakamoto.

In 2004, Finney created the first reusable proof of work system before Bitcoin.

Finney lived in the same town where Dorian Nakamoto lived, adding to speculation that he may have been Bitcoin's creator. Finney denied that he is Satoshi Nakamoto.

"The computer can be used as a tool to liberate and protect people, rather than to control them."
-- Hal Finney

Learn more

• RPOW - Reusable Proofs of Work
• Hal Finney on Sathosi Nakamoto institute
• Hal Finney on Wikipedia
• Satoshi Nakamoto on Wikipedia