The Human Rights Foundation (HRF) has announced the Finney Freedom Prize on the day of the fourth Bitcoin halving, honoring the legacy of Hal Finney, an early advocate of Bitcoin. The prize will be awarded to individuals or institutions that make significant contributions to Bitcoin and human rights, with the recipient receiving 1 BTC.
Alex Gladstein, Chief Strategy Officer of the HRF, stated that the goal of the prize is to inspire people to use Bitcoin to advance human rights and economic liberation worldwide. The prize will be awarded for each halving era, with the first Laureate being Hal Finney himself for the 2009-2012 era.
The selection process for future Laureates will involve a Genesis Committee appointed by the HRF and the Finney family. Criteria for consideration include educating people about Bitcoin, promoting financial freedom, contributing to Bitcoin’s codebase, making Bitcoin more accessible, and advocating for digital privacy.
The Finney Freedom Prize will be awarded through the 2130s, with a total of 33 prizes to be given out. The prize aims to inspire individuals to follow in Hal Finney’s footsteps and expand the accessibility of Bitcoin to more people.
In essence, the Finney Freedom Prize can be seen as the Nobel Prize of Bitcoin, encouraging individuals to make a positive impact on the world through the use of cryptocurrency.
