Adam Back
People · Bitcoin

Adam Back

British cryptographer and cypherpunk (born 1970) · Co-founder and CEO of Blockstream and inventor of Hashcash

Latest 6d ago
Organization
Blockstream
Role
CEO
Born
1970 (age 55–56)
Focus
Bitcoin
Nationality
British
Education
University of Exeter, PhD in distributed systems
Reference
Wikipedia

Profile by The Voices DeskReviewed under editorial standardsUpdated September 26, 2026Corrections

Who is Adam Back?

Adam Back is a British cryptographer and cypherpunk. He is the co-founder and CEO of Blockstream, a company he co-founded in 2014. Back is known as the inventor of Hashcash, a proof-of-work system used in the bitcoin mining process. His work in applied cryptography and his leadership at Blockstream contribute to his prominence in the digital currency and blockchain space.

Career

After completing his computer science PhD in distributed systems from the University of Exeter, Adam Back began his career as a consultant. He worked with startups and larger companies, focusing on applied cryptography, where he wrote cryptographic libraries and designed, reviewed, and broke cryptographic protocols. His early interest included PGP encryption, electronic cash, and remailers. This background led him to co-found Blockstream in 2014, where he serves as CEO, building on his expertise in cryptography and distributed systems.

What is Adam Back known for?

  • Co-founder and CEO of Blockstream
  • Inventor of Hashcash
  • British cryptographer
  • Cypherpunk

What Adam Back has said

“some old observations on the threat model GENERIC limits of hardware wallets. which make many things mis-thought security theater in practice. threat modelling is hard; i like threat modelling. see this in context of screen scraper exfil radio device”

Latest Adam Back news

Digital Assets

Qivalis Wins Dutch License for Euro E-Money Token, 37 Banks Back Launch

2d ago3 min read
Technology

Cerebras CEO Pushes Back on AI Doomer Narrative, Blames Data Center NIMBY

2d ago3 min read
Politics & Policy

California Democrats Back Health Tax Hike as Medi-Cal Bleeds Money

5d ago3 min read
Macro & Rates

Treasury Buys Back $6 Billion of 10 Issues From $14.9 Billion Offers

8d ago3 min read
U.S. Equities

SpaceX Valuation Surge Pushes Musk Back Above $1 Trillion

10d ago2 min read
Politics & Policy

Trump Opens 17-State Blitz as GOP Governors Back Kansas Democrat

13d ago3 min read
DeFi & On-Chain

Circle, Hyperliquid Push Back on MiCA Stablecoin Reserve Rules

13d ago3 min read
Macro & Rates

Yen Slides Back to JPY160 as Carry Trades Resume—Intervention Fades

13d ago3 min read

Frequently asked

Who is Adam Back?
Adam Back is a British cryptographer and cypherpunk. He is the co-founder and CEO of Blockstream and the inventor of Hashcash, which is used in the bitcoin mining process.
What is Adam Back known for?
Adam Back is known for inventing Hashcash, a proof-of-work system utilized in the bitcoin mining process. He is also recognized as the co-founder and CEO of Blockstream, a company he established in 2014.
Where does Adam Back share views on Bitcoin?
Adam Back shares views on Bitcoin on X at @adam3us.

People to follow on bitcoin

How this page works

Statements are reported from Adam Back’s own public posts, quoted verbatim, checked against the original before publication, and linked to it. The profile is drawn from the public record, principally the person’s encyclopedia entry, and was last reviewed September 26, 2026. We do not publish net worth estimates or family details; a birth year appears only where the public record states it. Photo: Wikimedia Commons / Adam Back. Stories are AI-assisted and human-reviewed under the Gokhshtein Media editorial standards; errors are logged on the corrections page. Inclusion here is editorial and is not an endorsement of any view, product, or asset. Something wrong or out of date? content@gokhshtein.com.