Remembering Hal Finney

Hal Finney was an accomplished computer-scientist and blazed trails within the realm of cryptography and cryptocurrency. He continues to be celebrated for his important contributions that shaped the technological landscape we know and understand today. Born in the 1950’s, Finney's magnetism toward computers started early in his life, setting the scene for his role in arguably the most important technological advancement in human history, the inception of bitcoin.

Finney's notoriety is mainly connected to his symbiosis with the emergence of bitcoin — causing the Hal Finney name to be engraved into the annals of technological history.

What’s Mr. Finney’s claim to fame?

Known by many as “The Bitcoin Godfather”, Hal Finney was the recipient of the inaugural bitcoin transaction. The very. First. One.

In a transaction that marked a watershed moment that led to the cryptosphere as we know it, he became intertwined with the genesis of this groundbreaking digital currency. Satoshi Nakamoto, the elusive creator of Bitcoin chose Finney to hold this distinction, solidifying his status as a foundational figure in cryptocurrency’s dawn of creation.

When was the first Bitcoin transaction?

Debate surrounds the date but for most in the crypto space, it is noted the first transaction occurred on January 12th, 2009 although in most parts of North America it was still January 11th aside from the Newfoundland time zone for bitcoiners farthest east in Canada.

“Finney downloaded the first public release of the Bitcoin client on 9 January 2009 and took part in several early tests of the system, this transaction included. The transaction was recorded in block number 170, with a time stamp of 2009-01-11 22:30:25 EST (or 2009-01-12 03:30:25 UTC). This 10 BTC transaction was the only one recorded in that block.” - Source: Guinness World Records

During the first year following the launch of bitcoin blockchain there were no other transactions other than this arguably most famous one. It was not until a year later, in January 2010, that other users started making transactions and adding to the ledger.

Is Finney & Satoshi Nakamoto the same person?

Writer and editor Daniel Kuhn wrote in his op-ed ‘Remembering Hal Finney on the 14th Anniversary of the First Bitcoin Transaction’ in January of 2023; “Finney is commonly suspected to have invented Bitcoin. Beyond the fact that coders are often their own first users and business-founders their own first customers, Finney certainly had the chops to design something like Bitcoin, which combined several pre-existing cryptographic and computational ideas in a novel way.” This example is one of many who haven’t ruled out Finney as bitcoin’s creator as Satoshi Nakamoto's last known communication was an email sent to the BTC developer Mike Hearn on April 26, 2011.

Image Source: Statista.com

Legendary Status: Achieved

Finney was diagnosed with ALS (Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis) — aka Lou Gehrig's disease — in 2009 and died tragically on August 28, 2014. As a result, until a verifiable Satoshi Nakamoto communication is determined in the future, the mystery of who created bitcoin remains unsolved.

The first BTC recipient’s legacy remains a attestation to Finney’s influence on cryptography as well as blockchain technology in of itself — and the path forward crypto will take. His direct dealings with “Satoshi Nakamoto”, adds an aura of mystique to his legacy — which contributes to the gripping tale of the early days of bitcoin.

Hal Finney's legendary status remains intact to this day as it should, good reader, and would we want it any other way? His groundbreaking work laid the foundation for the evolution of cryptocurrencies, offering a window into the potential power of decentralized digital ecosystems.

As we commemorate his contributions — we pay our respects to a visionary who navigated the intricate realm of cryptography and helped to reshape our financial landscape. Hal Finney left a mark on the world that only few can imagine would have such an impact on digital users and consumers alike in the present day. Thank you Hal Finney, for your work will be remembered and honoured here in Canada and across the world for years to come.