The award is designed to honor significant global achievements in Bitcoin and human rights, reflecting Finney’s vision of using technology as a tool for liberation.

The inaugural Finney Freedom Prize was awarded posthumously to Hal Finney, recognizing his pioneering work during Bitcoin’s first halving era from 2009 to 2012. Finney’s widow, Fran Finney, who accepted the award on his behalf, chose to donate the prize to charity and said:

“We believe this prize will ensure Hal’s legacy endures, inspiring future generations to explore and expand the use of Bitcoin as a tool for achieving personal and collective freedom.”

Finney, who succumbed to ALS in 2014, was a staunch advocate for civil liberties and a key figure in the early development of Bitcoin. He was the first person, after Bitcoin’s pseudonymous creator, Satoshi Nakamoto, to operate the software and partake in Bitcoin transactions.

110-year legacy

The Finney Freedom Prize will be distributed every four years on subsequent Bitcoin halving days, with a total of 28 awards slated over the next 110 years. The initiative is supported by a 33 BTC fund established by HRF.

Laureates will be recognized for their contributions to Bitcoin and human rights within specific halving periods and will receive a monetary prize of 1 Bitcoin (BTC) along with a physical award.

Nominations and selections for future laureates will be managed by the Genesis Committee, composed of notable figures in the Bitcoin community, including Farida Nabourema, Lisa Neigut, and Obi Nwosu, among others.

The committee will evaluate candidates based on their educational efforts about Bitcoin, contributions to its technology, promotion of decentralization, and efforts to enhance Bitcoin’s accessibility, particularly under oppressive regimes.

, with 1 BTC allocated for each award over the remaining halving events. Hal Finney’s Bitcoin will be donated to charity as directed by his widow, Fran Finney, who said: