The Human Rights Foundation, in partnership with the Finney family, has recently announced the winners of the prestigious Finney Freedom Prize. This year, Pieter Wuille and Gregory Maxwell have been recognized for their exceptional contributions to Bitcoin usability, scalability, and privacy during the 2012-2016 era.
The Finney Freedom Prize is a prestigious award that celebrates individuals who use technology to protect individual freedoms worldwide. Named after Bitcoin pioneer Hal Finney, the award recognizes those who push the boundaries of what is possible with technology.
Wuille and Maxwell were selected by an independent committee from a pool of talented nominees, including well-known figures in the Bitcoin community such as Andreas Antonopoulos, Roya Mahboob, and Ross Ulbricht. Their work has been instrumental in ensuring that Bitcoin remains a secure and practical tool for financial freedom.
As open-source software, Bitcoin relies on the contributions of volunteers to maintain and improve its codebase. Wuille and Maxwell have been at the forefront of this effort, helping to make Bitcoin a powerful financial resource for individuals around the world, especially those living under authoritarian regimes.
The laureates will split a monetary prize of 100,000,000 satoshis (equivalent to 1 bitcoin) and will each receive a Finney Freedom Prize statue designed by Cryptograffiti. Their contributions have had a significant impact on the Bitcoin community, making it easier for individuals to access financial freedom in even the most repressive environments.
The next Finney Freedom Laureate, covering the 2016-2020 era, will be announced on January 10, 2026. Stay tuned to see who will be recognized for their contributions to advancing financial freedom through technology.