Gavin Andresen facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Gavin Andresen
Gavin Andresen on the centre stage during Day 3 of the 2014 Web Summit
Born	November 11, 1966
Other names	Gavin Bell
Alma mater	Princeton University
Known for	Bitcoin, software
Scientific career
Fields	Computer science

Gavin Andresen, born on November 11, 1966, is a computer expert. He is famous for his important work with bitcoin. Bitcoin is a type of digital money. Gavin lives in Amherst, Massachusetts.

He started out creating software for 3D graphics and virtual reality. In 2010, he began working on products for the Bitcoin market. He became the main developer for Bitcoin's core software after its creator, Satoshi Nakamoto, left. In 2012, Andresen started the Bitcoin Foundation. This group helps support and grow the Bitcoin currency. By 2014, he focused fully on his work with the Foundation.

Gavin Andresen's Career Journey

Gavin Andresen, who was known as Gavin Bell back then, finished his studies at Princeton University in 1988. He started his career making 3D graphics software. He worked at a company called Silicon Graphics Computer Systems. In 1996, he helped write the rules for something called VRML 2.0. This was a way to create 3D worlds on the internet. He also wrote a guide for it.

After leaving Silicon Valley in 1996, Andresen worked on many different software projects. He was a chief technology officer (CTO) for a company that used Voice over IP (VoIP). VoIP lets you make phone calls over the internet. He also helped start a company that made online games. These games were special because they were for people who are blind and their friends.

Working with Bitcoin

Gavin Andresen was a main developer for the bitcoin digital currency project. His goal was to help create a safe and steady "cash for the Internet." Andresen found out about Bitcoin in 2010. He thought its design was very clever. Soon after, he made a website called The Bitcoin Faucet. This website actually gave away small amounts of Bitcoin for free.

In April 2011, Andresen said that Bitcoin was made to bring back a currency controlled by people. He also said it was "better gold than gold." After joining other developers working on Bitcoin, he became the lead developer. He worked on the main software for the Bitcoin network. In June 2011, he even gave a presentation about Bitcoin. This was at a meeting for the US intelligence community. He stepped back from being the lead maintainer in 2014.

Andresen also created a service called ClearCoin. This service was like an escrow service, which helps make sure online deals are fair. ClearCoin closed around June 2011. After several years working on the software, Andresen left his role as lead Bitcoin developer. He wanted to focus on the bigger picture of its technology. He came up with the idea for the Bitcoin Foundation. This idea became real in September 2012.

In May 2016, Andresen thought an Australian programmer named Craig Wright was Satoshi Nakamoto. But he later said he regretted getting involved in the "who was Satoshi" game. He stated it was a mistake to trust Craig Wright.

Andresen has not worked on Bitcoin since February 2016. He became concerned that Bitcoin developers were not increasing the network's capacity. This is like making sure more cars can fit on a highway. He helped create different software called Bitcoin XT. His access to Bitcoin's main code was removed in May 2016. This happened after he said Craig Wright was Satoshi Nakamoto. In November 2017, Andresen showed support for a different digital currency called Bitcoin Cash. He said that Bitcoin Cash was what he started working on in 2010. He saw it as both a way to store value and a way to exchange money.

See also

In Spanish: Gavin Andresen para niños