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Timothy C. May

Cypherpunk co-founder, author of The Crypto Anarchist Manifesto

Known for
The Crypto Anarchist Manifesto, the Cyphernomicon[1]
Years active
1988–2018[1]
Key contribution
Co-founded the cypherpunks[3]
Notable date
1992: cypherpunks founded[3]

No openly licensed photo found; stylized monogram shown.

“A specter is haunting the modern world, the specter of crypto anarchy.”
Timothy C. May, 1988 · The Crypto Anarchist Manifesto (original)

Bio

Timothy C. May (1951–2018) was an electronic engineer and senior scientist at Intel, known for identifying the cause of alpha-particle errors in memory chips.[1]

He co-founded the cypherpunks with Eric Hughes and John Gilmore in 1992, wrote The Crypto Anarchist Manifesto and the Cyphernomicon FAQ, and was one of the list's most prolific posters. Wei Dai's b-money opens by citing May's crypto-anarchy, and Reason called him a significant influence on Bitcoin.[1][3][4]

His New York Times obituary also noted that he expressed racist sentiments in online groups in later years.[1]

Timeline

  1. 1988

    Writes The Crypto Anarchist Manifesto[2]

  2. 1992

    Co-founds the cypherpunks[3]

  3. Dec 13, 2018

    Dies[1]

Connections

Elsewhere on CHC

Sources

Checked Oct 15, 2026 · All people