Adam Back
People · Bitcoin

Adam Back

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

Latest 2d 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

By topic:Bitcoin (2)

“prior fork context for bip110 fork supporters: @francispouliot_ masterclass on bitcoin reality. yet again: attempts to impose your views on bitcoin get market rejected. @_podconf memes about BIG BITCOIN are well meaning: for you to understand immutability”
“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

Ethereum ETFs Hit 23-Session Outflow Streak as Institutional Buyers Pull Back

4d ago2 min read
Macro & Rates

Judge Voids Comey Firing, Orders Reinstatement and Back Pay

10d ago2 min read
Politics & Policy

Qatar Mediates Iran Talks as Trump Administration Seeks Back Channel

11d ago2 min read
Politics & Policy

Democrats Back Independent Senate Bids in Trump Country

11d ago3 min read
Macro & Rates

Jobless Claims Hit 57-Year Low, Pushing Back Fed Cut Timeline

14d ago2 min read
Technology

Airbnb Hosts Push Back Against New Cleaning Policy

15d ago3 min read
Voices

David Gokhshtein Says Bitcoin Is Back To $84K

15d ago3 min read
U.S. Equities

Longleaf Partners Sees Abbott Labs Bouncing Back to Double-Digit EPS Growth

15d ago3 min read
Voices

Scott Melker Reports CFTC Pushes Back Against CME Group Lawsuit

16d 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.