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| Place of birth | London, UK |
| Category | Tech |
| Alma mater | University of Exeter |
| Known for | Blockstream, Hashcash |
Biography:
Adam Back is a renowned cryptographer and cypherpunk. Prior to his involvement in the Bitcoin space, Back was known as an early pioneer of the digital currency movement. He developed Hashcash, a method of countering denial-of-service attacks using a proof-of-work algorithm, in 1997. Years later, this advancement provided the foundation for Bitcoin’s mining capabilities. In 2014, Back co-founded a blockchain technology company called Blockstream. His work is referenced in Satoshi Nakamoto’s original Bitcoin white paper.
Back’s 2020:
Back’s work with Blockstream continued to push the crypto space forward in 2020. His company saw a number of successes, including major upgrades to its satellite network and initiatives to expand its Liquid sidechain ecosystem. In July, the Liquid Network got its first general-purpose Javascript library, allowing external developers to start building a more robust environment around the project. A decentralized exchange built on the Liquid Network opened for early access in September.
Back’s 2021:
With Back’s guidance, Blockstream’s Liquid Network is likely to make further strides in the coming year. There are talks of Ethereum-like features on the way for Bitcoin thanks to the project’s cross-chain capabilities. With the first nonfungible tokens already launched on Liquid, the network may yet challenge Ethereum’s dominance as the go-to ecosystem for blockchain asset issuance.