HRF Launches Finney Freedom Prize to Celebrate Bitcoin’s Role in Financial Freedom

The Human Rights Foundation (HRF) has announced the creation of the Finney Freedom Prize on Bitcoin’s fourth halving day, a prestigious award aimed at celebrating the role of the flagship cryptocurrency in promoting financial freedom worldwide.

Named after the late Hal Finney, a pioneer in the early days of Bitcoin, the inaugural Finney Freedom Prize was posthumously awarded to him for his groundbreaking work during Bitcoin’s first halving era from 2009 to 2012. Finney, who passed away in 2014 after battling ALS, was a vocal advocate for civil liberties and played a key role in the development of Bitcoin.

Accepting the award on behalf of her late husband, Fran Finney chose to donate the prize to charity, emphasizing the importance of using Bitcoin as a tool for achieving personal and collective freedom. The prize will be awarded every four years on subsequent Bitcoin halving days, with a total of 28 awards planned over the next 110 years.

The Finney Freedom Prize aims to recognize individuals who have made significant contributions to Bitcoin and human rights, with each laureate receiving a monetary prize of 1 Bitcoin (BTC) along with a physical award. Nominations and selections for future laureates will be overseen by the Genesis Committee, comprised of prominent figures in the Bitcoin community.

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 in regions with oppressive regimes. With a 33 BTC fund established by HRF to support the initiative, the Finney Freedom Prize seeks to honor those who continue to advance the principles of freedom and empowerment through the use of technology.