Satoshi Nakamoto and Hal Finney: the first Bitcoin transaction
Who Hal Finney was, how he received the first Bitcoin transaction from Satoshi, and why runners honour him every year.
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Hal Finney
Hal Finney was a cryptographer and one of the first people to run the Bitcoin software in January 2009. He received the first Bitcoin transaction ever, 10 BTC from Satoshi, in block 170.
'Bitcoin and me'
In 2013 Hal wrote a widely read forum post about his early days with Bitcoin and his life with ALS, which had paralysed him. He died in 2014. His story is one of the most-read threads on the forum.
Run For Hal
Each year the Bitcoin community runs in his memory to support ALS research. In 2026 a Run For Hal 5K takes place in Lugano on 23 October during Plan ₿ Week.
FAQ
- Was Hal Finney Satoshi?
- He is often suggested, but there is no proof, and he denied it. Satoshi's identity remains unknown.
On the site
Original bitcointalk.org threads
- Who is Satoshi Nakamoto? · 2,337 replies / 144,974 views (as of 13 Oct 2026)
- Bitcoin and me (Hal Finney) · 837 replies / 281,779 views (as of 13 Oct 2026)
Our own explanation; forum threads are linked, not copied. Not investment advice.
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