Updated on:12/14/2025 04:31 PM 
The Human Rights Foundation (HRF) has officially launched the groundbreaking Finney Freedom Prize, a prestigious recognition established on Bitcoin's fourth halving day to celebrate how cryptocurrency technology empowers global financial freedom and human rights.
This distinguished award aims to honor exceptional worldwide contributions that advance both Bitcoin technology and human rights causes, embodying Hal Finney's forward-thinking vision of utilizing digital currency as a powerful tool for liberation and equality.
The inaugural Finney Freedom Prize was posthumously awarded to Bitcoin pioneer Hal Finney, recognizing his groundbreaking contributions during the cryptocurrency's initial halving period from 2009 to 2012. Accepting the award on his behalf was Fran Finney, Hal's widow, who generously donated the prize to charitable causes, continuing her husband's legacy of supporting human rights initiatives.
Finney, who passed away from ALS in 2014, was a passionate defender of civil liberties and an instrumental figure in Bitcoin's early development history. Notably, he became the first individual after Bitcoin's mysterious creator, Satoshi Nakamoto, to successfully operate the Bitcoin software and participate in the world's first cryptocurrency transactions.
The Finney Freedom Prize will be presented every four years during subsequent Bitcoin halving events, with a total of 28 awards planned across the next 110 years. This enduring initiative is backed by a substantial 33 Bitcoin fund established by the Human Rights Foundation to ensure its long-term sustainability.
Each laureate will be celebrated for their significant impact on both Bitcoin technology and human rights advocacy within specific halving cycles. Recipients will receive a monetary reward of 1 Bitcoin (BTC) alongside a commemorative physical trophy symbolizing their contributions to digital currency freedom.
Nominations and selections for future laureates will be overseen by the Genesis Committee, an esteemed body comprising influential leaders from the global Bitcoin community. Notable committee members include human rights activist Farida Nabourema, Bitcoin developer Lisa Neigut, and cryptocurrency entrepreneur Obi Nwosu, among other distinguished figures.
The committee evaluates potential candidates based on several key criteria: their educational efforts to advance Bitcoin knowledge, technological innovations that strengthen the cryptocurrency network, advocacy for decentralization principles, and initiatives that improve Bitcoin's accessibility, particularly for individuals living under oppressive regimes where financial freedom is restricted.
