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Eric Hughes: Eric Hughes, masked, with a pseudonym name tag

Eric Hughes

Cypherpunk co-founder, author of A Cypherpunk's Manifesto

Known for
A Cypherpunk's Manifesto[2]
Years active
1992–1990s (cypherpunk era)[3]
Key contribution
Founded and ran the cypherpunks list[1]
Notable date
Mar 9, 1993: Manifesto[2]

Photo: Eric Hughes, masked, with a pseudonym name tag by Kspiers, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons. Cropped.

“Privacy is necessary for an open society in the electronic age.”
Eric Hughes, Mar 9, 1993 · A Cypherpunk's Manifesto (original)

Bio

Eric Hughes is an American mathematician and programmer. In late 1992 he, Timothy C. May and John Gilmore founded the group that became the cypherpunks.[1][3]

He founded and administered the cypherpunks mailing list, created the first anonymous remailer, wrote A Cypherpunk's Manifesto in 1993 and coined the motto “Cypherpunks write code.”[1][2]

Timeline

  1. 1992

    Co-founds the cypherpunks[3]

  2. Mar 9, 1993

    Publishes A Cypherpunk's Manifesto[2]

Connections

Elsewhere on CHC

Sources

Checked Oct 15, 2026 · All people