The Human Rights Foundation, in partnership with the Finney family, has awarded Pieter Wuille and Gregory Maxwell with the prestigious Finney Freedom Prize for their significant contributions to Bitcoin’s implementation, sustainability, and privacy. The award recognizes their work during the period 2012-2016, corresponding to the height of the Bitcoin block of 210,000 to 420,000.
The Finney Freedom Award honors people who are developing the computer as a tool to protect individual freedom around the world, following in the footsteps of Bitcoin founder Hal Finney, who was the first recipient of the award.
An independent committee selected Wuille and Maxwell from a short list that included notable bitcoin donors such as Andreas Antonopoulos, Roya Mahboob, and Ross Ulbricht.
As open source software, Bitcoin relies on voluntary contributors to maintain, update, and improve its codebase. Unlike a traditional corporation, bitcoin has no central authority, making the work of developers like Wuille and Maxwell critical to its continued success. Both have played an important role in ensuring that bitcoin remains strong, secure, and a viable tool for financial freedom.
“Wuille and Maxwell’s efforts have clearly made bitcoin an effective human rights tool for millions of people, especially many who work under authoritarian regimes and financial repression around the world,” the Finney Freedom Prize announcement said.
Their contributions have helped bitcoin become a powerful financial resource for individuals around the world, especially those in stressed areas.
The winners will share a cash prize of 100,000,000 satoshis (1 bitcoin), and each will receive a Finney Freedom Prize statue designed by Cryptograffiti.
The next Finney Freedom Laureate, covering the period 2016-2020 (Block Height 420,000 to 630,000), will be announced on January 10, 2026.