One of the most prominent cryptographers in the world. He is developer of many novel advancements that were the forerunners to cryptocurrency and blockchain.
He is the innovator behind several cryptographic protocols and the digital money eCash.
In 1990, he started DigiCash which was a cryptographic system for payments. This led to working with other well-known cryptographers such as Nick Szabo and Eric Hughes. eCash demonstrated that money could be transferred via software.
He is one of the major innovators in the field of privacy technology. This caused him to be called "the father of online anonymity" and "the godfather of cryptocurrency".
There is a strong lineage between his work and what ultimately became the technology behind Bitcoin.