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{{Short description|British-Iranian hacktivist (born 1988)}} |
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| name = Amir Taaki |
| name = Amir Taaki |
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| image = Amir.taaki.Bratislava.December.2012.jpg |
| image = Amir.taaki.Bratislava.December.2012.jpg |
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| alt = Amir Taaki in Bratislava, 2012 |
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| birth_place = [[London]], [[United Kingdom]] |
| birth_place = [[London]], [[United Kingdom]] |
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| caption = Taaki in Bratislava, 2012 |
| caption = Taaki in [[Bratislava]], 2012 |
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| birth_date = {{birth date and age|df=yes|1988|2|6}} |
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|df=yes|1988|2|6}} |
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| nationality = [[United Kingdom|British]] |
| nationality = [[United Kingdom|British]] |
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| known_for = |
| known_for = |
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| occupation = Programmer |
| occupation = Programmer |
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| website = {{URL|amirtaaki.org}}{{dead link|date=November 2020}} |
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'''Amir Taaki''' ({{ |
'''Amir Taaki''' ({{langx|fa|امیر تاکی}}; born 6 February 1988) is a British-Iranian anarchist revolutionary, [[hacktivist]], and [[programmer]] who is known for his leading role in the [[Bitcoin]] project, and for pioneering many [[Open-source software|open source]] projects.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Colao |first=J.J. |title=Amir Taaki, 25 - In Photos: 2014 30 under 30: Technology |url=https://www.forbes.com/pictures/elld45eemkm/amir-taaki-25/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140109072551/http://www.forbes.com/pictures/elld45eemkm/amir-taaki-25/ |archive-date=9 January 2014 |website=Forbes}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Ball |first=James |date=20 April 2012 |title=Hacktivists in the frontline battle for the internet |work=The Guardian |location=London |url=https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2012/apr/20/hacktivists-battle-internet |access-date=20 April 2012}}</ref> Forbes listed Taaki in their [[Forbes 30 Under 30|30 Under 30]] listing of 2014.<ref>{{cite web |title=Forbes 30 Under 30 |url=https://www.forbes.com/special-report/2014/30-under-30/technology.html |website=Forbes |access-date=4 October 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/business/analysis-and-features/meet-the-worlds-next-billionaires--from-mashables-pete-cashmore-to-bitcoin-renegade-amir-taaki-9042710.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140107154641/http://www.independent.co.uk/news/business/analysis-and-features/meet-the-worlds-next-billionaires--from-mashables-pete-cashmore-to-bitcoin-renegade-amir-taaki-9042710.html |archive-date=2014-01-07 |url-access=limited |url-status=live|title=Meet the world's next billionaires - from Mashable's Pete Cashmore to Bitcoin renegade Amir Taaki|work=The Independent|date=7 January 2014 }}</ref> Driven by the political philosophy of the [[Rojava]] revolution, Taaki traveled to Syria, served in the YPG military, and worked in Rojava's civil society on various economic projects for a year and a half.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.standard.co.uk/lifestyle/london-life/tech-enigma-amir-taaki-on-forbes-and-fighting-isis-a3509096.html|title=Tech enigma Amir Taaki on Forbes and fighting Isis in Syria|author=Susannah Butter|work=Standard.co.uk|date=6 April 2017 }}</ref> |
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== Biography == |
== Biography == |
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Amir Taaki was born 6 February 1988<ref>{{cite web |title=Amir Taaki |url=https://beta.companieshouse.gov.uk/officers/sEU_7R7M4GXsOIcg6vWFrVMoE6Q/appointments |website=Companies House |access-date=4 October 2018}}</ref> in London, the eldest of three children of a Scottish-English<ref name="standard1"/> mother and an Iranian father who is a property developer. From an early age Taaki took an interest in computer technology, [[autodidacticism|teaching himself]] [[computer programmer|computer programming]].<ref name=EPCA>[https://web.archive.org/web/20110326214259/http://www.epcaconference.com/index.php/2011/2011/speakers/%28offset%29/20 "Speakers 2011,"] 11th International EPCA Summit, European Payments Consulting Association, www.epcaconference.com/ Retrieved 11 October 2011.</ref> |
Amir Taaki was born 6 February 1988<ref>{{cite web |title=Amir Taaki |url=https://beta.companieshouse.gov.uk/officers/sEU_7R7M4GXsOIcg6vWFrVMoE6Q/appointments |website=Companies House |access-date=4 October 2018}}</ref> in London, the eldest of three children of a Scottish-English<ref name="standard1"/> mother and an Iranian father who is a property developer. Taaki grew up in nearby [[Kent]].<ref name=dark-bartlett>{{Cite book |last=Bartlett |first=Jamie |url=https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/900594552 |title=The dark net : inside the digital underworld |date=2015 |isbn=978-1-61219-489-9 |location=Brooklyn |oclc=900594552|author-link=Jamie Bartlett}}</ref> From an early age Taaki took an interest in computer technology, [[autodidacticism|teaching himself]] [[computer programmer|computer programming]].<ref name=EPCA>[https://web.archive.org/web/20110326214259/http://www.epcaconference.com/index.php/2011/2011/speakers/%28offset%29/20 "Speakers 2011,"] 11th International EPCA Summit, European Payments Consulting Association, www.epcaconference.com/ Retrieved 11 October 2011.</ref> |
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After briefly attending two British universities,<ref name="standard1">{{cite news|last1=Herrmann|first1=Joshi|title=Silicon Roundabout's not for him: meet super-hacker, master coder and Bitcoin boy Amir Taaki in his Hackney squat|url=https://www.standard.co.uk/lifestyle/london-life/silicon-roundabouts-not-for-him-meet-superhacker-master-coder-and-bitcoin-boy-amir-taaki-in-his-hackney-squat-9093228.html|access-date=30 June 2015|date=29 January 2014}}</ref> Taaki gravitated to the [[free software]] movement. Taaki assisted in the creation of SDL Collide, an extension of [[Simple DirectMedia Layer]], an open source [[library (computing)|library]] used by video game developers.<ref>{{cite web |title=SDL_Collide |url=https://sourceforge.net/projects/sdl-collide/ |website=SourceForge |access-date=4 October 2018 |date=8 Jan 2015}}</ref> |
After briefly attending two British universities,<ref name="standard1">{{cite news|last1=Herrmann|first1=Joshi|title=Silicon Roundabout's not for him: meet super-hacker, master coder and Bitcoin boy Amir Taaki in his Hackney squat|url=https://www.standard.co.uk/lifestyle/london-life/silicon-roundabouts-not-for-him-meet-superhacker-master-coder-and-bitcoin-boy-amir-taaki-in-his-hackney-squat-9093228.html|access-date=30 June 2015|date=29 January 2014}}</ref> Taaki gravitated to the [[free software]] movement. Taaki assisted in the creation of SDL Collide, an extension of [[Simple DirectMedia Layer]], an open source [[library (computing)|library]] used by video game developers.<ref>{{cite web |title=SDL_Collide |url=https://sourceforge.net/projects/sdl-collide/ |website=SourceForge |access-date=4 October 2018 |date=8 Jan 2015}}</ref> |
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In 2009 and 2010, Taaki made his living as a professional [[poker]] player.<ref name=EPCA /> His experience with [[online gambling]] attracted him to the [[ |
In 2009 and 2010, Taaki made his living as a professional [[poker]] player.<ref name=EPCA /> His experience with [[online gambling]] attracted him to the [[Bitcoin]] project.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Ball |first=James |author-link=James Ball (journalist) |date=2011-06-22 |title=Bitcoins: What are they, and how do they work? |url=https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2011/jun/22/bitcoins-how-do-they-work |access-date=2024-04-13 |website=The Guardian |language=en-GB}}</ref> At one point, he was listed among Bitcoin's main developers.<ref>{{Cite web |last1=Herrmann |first1=Joshi |title=The Anarchist Hacker Bitcoin Would Rather Not Talk About |work=Vice |date=2015-07-10 |url=https://www.vice.com/en/article/ypw985/the-anarchist-hacker-bitcoin-would-rather-not-talk-about |language=en |access-date=2021-08-13 }}</ref> He founded the first UK Bitcoin exchange, "Britcoin", which was succeeded in 2011 by a new British exchange called Intersango, in which he was a principal developer.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20120426062717/https://intersango.com/about-us.php "About Us: Personal Statements,"] Intersango, britcoin.co.uk</ref><ref name=dark-bartlett/> Intersango has since closed.<ref>{{Cite news |title=Cryptoanarchists pull trigger on fight over future of Bitcoin |work=[[Financial Times]] |date=2013-10-31 |url=https://www.ft.com/content/f0574260-e364-3e4f-91fc-13680ce65688 }}</ref> |
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In 2012, Taaki organized the first Bitcoin conference in London.<ref>{{cite news |url = https://newint.org/features/2012/12/01/open-source-digital-freedom-keynote |title=Internet showdown: Why digital freedom matters to us all |last=Healy |first=Hazel |work=New Internationalist |date = 1 December 2012 |access-date =16 August 2022 |location=London}}</ref> |
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⚫ | In 2014, together with [[Cody Wilson]], he launched the [[Dark Wallet]] project after a crowdfunding run on [[IndieGoGo]] which raised over $50,000.<ref name="NYR">{{cite |
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⚫ | In 2014, together with [[Cody Wilson]], he launched the [[Dark Wallet]] project after a crowdfunding run on [[IndieGoGo]] which raised over $50,000.<ref name="NYR">{{cite magazine|last=Del Castillo|first=Michael|title=Dark Wallet: A Radical Way to Bitcoin|url=http://www.newyorker.com/online/blogs/currency/2013/09/dark-wallet-bitcoin.html|magazine=The New Yorker|date=24 September 2013|access-date=15 May 2014}}</ref><ref name="DWF1">{{cite web|last=Greenberg|first=Andy|title=Dark Wallet Aims To Be The Anarchist's Bitcoin App of Choice|url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/andygreenberg/2013/10/31/darkwallet-aims-to-be-the-anarchists-bitcoin-app-of-choice/|work=Forbes Online|date=31 October 2013|access-date=15 May 2014}}</ref><ref name="DWW1">{{cite magazine|last=Greenberg|first=Andy|title='Dark Wallet' Is About to Make Bitcoin Money Laundering Easier Than Ever|url=https://www.wired.com/2014/04/dark-wallet/|magazine=Wired|date=29 April 2014|access-date=15 May 2014}}</ref> Taaki, along with other developers from Airbitz, a Bitcoin software company, created a prototype for a decentralised marketplace called "DarkMarket" in 2014, at a hackathon in Toronto, which was forked into the [[OpenBazaar]] project.<ref name=wired-darkmarket-prototype>{{cite magazine | url = https://www.wired.com/2014/04/darkmarket | title = Inside the 'DarkMarket' Prototype, a Silk Road the FBI Can Never Seize | last = Greenberg | first = Andy | magazine = [[Wired (website)|Wired]] | date = 24 April 2014 | access-date = 23 August 2014}}</ref> |
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As of 2013, he resided in an anarchist squat in the former anti-[[G7 (forum)|G8]] HQ building in London, England.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Siddique|first1=Haroon|title=G8: riot police enter central London building occupied by protesters|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/jun/11/g8-riot-police-building-protesters|access-date=8 July 2015|date=11 June 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last1=Copestake|first1=Jen|title=Hiding currency in the Dark Wallet|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-29283124|access-date=8 July 2015|date=19 September 2014}}</ref> |
As of 2013, he resided in an anarchist squat in the former anti-[[G7 (forum)|G8]] HQ building in London, England.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Siddique|first1=Haroon|title=G8: riot police enter central London building occupied by protesters|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/jun/11/g8-riot-police-building-protesters|access-date=8 July 2015|date=11 June 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last1=Copestake|first1=Jen|title=Hiding currency in the Dark Wallet|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-29283124|access-date=8 July 2015|date=19 September 2014}}</ref> |
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In 2015, Taaki went to [[Rojava]] (Syrian Kurdistan) to offer his skills to the revolution |
In 2015, Taaki went to [[Rojava]] (Syrian Kurdistan) to offer his skills to the revolution and served the YPG military.<ref>{{cite magazine |last1=Greenberg |first1=Andy |title=How an anarchist Bitcoin coder found himself fighting ISIS in Syria |url=https://www.wired.com/2017/03/anarchist-bitcoin-coder-found-fighting-isis-syria/ |magazine=Wired |access-date=4 October 2018 |date=29 Mar 2017}}</ref> He had no training but spent three and a half months in the [[People's Protection Units|YPG military]] fighting on the front. He was then discharged and worked in the civil society for over a year on various projects for Rojava's economics committee. |
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In February 2018, Taaki created a group in [[Catalonia]] dedicated to leveraging [[blockchain]] technology to help [[national liberation]] causes such as the [[Catalan independence movement]].<ref>{{cite |
In February 2018, Taaki created a group in [[Catalonia]] dedicated to leveraging [[blockchain]] technology to help [[national liberation]] causes such as the [[Catalan independence movement]].<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://www.wired.co.uk/article/amir-taaki-dark-wallet-cryptocurrency-bitcoin-revolution-catalonia|title=Amir fought Isis in Syria, now he's enlisting an army of hacker monks to save bitcoin from itself|magazine=wired|date=6 Mar 2018|last1=Volpicelli |first1=Gian |access-date=3 Oct 2018}}</ref> |
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In 2023, ''[[Politico]]'' reported that Taaki was working on an anarchist project called DarkFi that aimed to allow people to form organizations that collectively raise and distribute money in complete secrecy.<ref>Schreckinger, Ben (February 2, 2023) [https://www.politico.com/news/2023/02/02/crypto-anarchist-coders-evade-law-enforcement-00080950 "A new crypto threat to government launches."] Politico. (Retrieved March 6, 2023).</ref> |
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Taaki appears in the Bitcoin documentary [[Money Electric: The Bitcoin Mystery]],<ref>{{Citation |last=Hoback |first=Cullen |title=Money Electric: The Bitcoin Mystery |date=2024-10-08 |type=Documentary |url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt33600145/ |access-date=2024-10-29 |others=Cullen Hoback, Samson Mow, Ricardo Salinas Pliego |publisher=HBO Documentary Films, Hello Pictures, Hyperobject Industries}}</ref> released in October 2024. He has publicly disagreed with the film's theory of [[Peter Todd (cryptographer)|Peter Todd]] as [[Satoshi Nakamoto]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Taaki |first=Amir |title=Amir Taaki on Peter Todd |url=https://x.com/Narodism/status/1844017533336142025 |access-date=October 29, 2024 |website=Twitter}}</ref> |
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== Further reading == |
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==See also== |
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{{refbegin}} |
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* [[Crypto-anarchism]] |
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* [[Cypherpunk]] |
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* {{Cite web |last1=Wong |first1=Joon Ian |title=Anarchist hacker Amir Taaki says bitcoin's boom means it's on the verge of a collapse |work=Quartz |date=2018-02-08 |url=https://qz.com/1192640/anarchist-cryptocurrency-hacker-amir-taaki-says-bitcoin-is-in-a-speculative-bubble/ |language=en |access-date=2018-11-03 |df=mdy-all }} |
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{{refend}} |
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== External links == |
== External links == |
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[[Category:English computer programmers]] |
[[Category:English computer programmers]] |
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[[Category:English people of Iranian descent]] |
[[Category:English people of Iranian descent]] |
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[[Category:British Esperantists]] |
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[[Category:People associated with Bitcoin]] |
[[Category:People associated with Bitcoin]] |
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[[Category:Free software people]] |
[[Category:Free software people]] |
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[[Category:Crypto-anarchists]] |
[[Category:Crypto-anarchists]] |
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[[Category:Poker players from London]] |
[[Category:Poker players from London]] |
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[[Category:British anarchists]] |
Latest revision as of 21:44, 5 November 2024
Amir Taaki | |
---|---|
Born | |
Nationality | British |
Occupation | Programmer |
Military career | |
Allegiance | Rojava |
Service | YPG |
Years of service | 2015 |
Battles / wars | Syrian Civil War |
Amir Taaki (Persian: امیر تاکی; born 6 February 1988) is a British-Iranian anarchist revolutionary, hacktivist, and programmer who is known for his leading role in the Bitcoin project, and for pioneering many open source projects.[1][2] Forbes listed Taaki in their 30 Under 30 listing of 2014.[3][4] Driven by the political philosophy of the Rojava revolution, Taaki traveled to Syria, served in the YPG military, and worked in Rojava's civil society on various economic projects for a year and a half.[5]
Biography
[edit]Amir Taaki was born 6 February 1988[6] in London, the eldest of three children of a Scottish-English[7] mother and an Iranian father who is a property developer. Taaki grew up in nearby Kent.[8] From an early age Taaki took an interest in computer technology, teaching himself computer programming.[9]
After briefly attending two British universities,[7] Taaki gravitated to the free software movement. Taaki assisted in the creation of SDL Collide, an extension of Simple DirectMedia Layer, an open source library used by video game developers.[10]
In 2009 and 2010, Taaki made his living as a professional poker player.[9] His experience with online gambling attracted him to the Bitcoin project.[11] At one point, he was listed among Bitcoin's main developers.[12] He founded the first UK Bitcoin exchange, "Britcoin", which was succeeded in 2011 by a new British exchange called Intersango, in which he was a principal developer.[13][8] Intersango has since closed.[14]
In 2012, Taaki organized the first Bitcoin conference in London.[15]
In 2014, together with Cody Wilson, he launched the Dark Wallet project after a crowdfunding run on IndieGoGo which raised over $50,000.[16][17][18] Taaki, along with other developers from Airbitz, a Bitcoin software company, created a prototype for a decentralised marketplace called "DarkMarket" in 2014, at a hackathon in Toronto, which was forked into the OpenBazaar project.[19]
As of 2013, he resided in an anarchist squat in the former anti-G8 HQ building in London, England.[20][21]
In 2015, Taaki went to Rojava (Syrian Kurdistan) to offer his skills to the revolution and served the YPG military.[22] He had no training but spent three and a half months in the YPG military fighting on the front. He was then discharged and worked in the civil society for over a year on various projects for Rojava's economics committee.
In February 2018, Taaki created a group in Catalonia dedicated to leveraging blockchain technology to help national liberation causes such as the Catalan independence movement.[23]
In 2023, Politico reported that Taaki was working on an anarchist project called DarkFi that aimed to allow people to form organizations that collectively raise and distribute money in complete secrecy.[24]
Taaki appears in the Bitcoin documentary Money Electric: The Bitcoin Mystery,[25] released in October 2024. He has publicly disagreed with the film's theory of Peter Todd as Satoshi Nakamoto.[26]
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ Colao, J.J. "Amir Taaki, 25 - In Photos: 2014 30 under 30: Technology". Forbes. Archived from the original on 9 January 2014.
- ^ Ball, James (20 April 2012). "Hacktivists in the frontline battle for the internet". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 20 April 2012.
- ^ "Forbes 30 Under 30". Forbes. Retrieved 4 October 2018.
- ^ "Meet the world's next billionaires - from Mashable's Pete Cashmore to Bitcoin renegade Amir Taaki". The Independent. 7 January 2014. Archived from the original on 7 January 2014.
- ^ Susannah Butter (6 April 2017). "Tech enigma Amir Taaki on Forbes and fighting Isis in Syria". Standard.co.uk.
- ^ "Amir Taaki". Companies House. Retrieved 4 October 2018.
- ^ a b Herrmann, Joshi (29 January 2014). "Silicon Roundabout's not for him: meet super-hacker, master coder and Bitcoin boy Amir Taaki in his Hackney squat". Retrieved 30 June 2015.
- ^ a b Bartlett, Jamie (2015). The dark net : inside the digital underworld. Brooklyn. ISBN 978-1-61219-489-9. OCLC 900594552.
{{cite book}}
: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link) - ^ a b "Speakers 2011," 11th International EPCA Summit, European Payments Consulting Association, www.epcaconference.com/ Retrieved 11 October 2011.
- ^ "SDL_Collide". SourceForge. 8 January 2015. Retrieved 4 October 2018.
- ^ Ball, James (22 June 2011). "Bitcoins: What are they, and how do they work?". The Guardian. Retrieved 13 April 2024.
- ^ Herrmann, Joshi (10 July 2015). "The Anarchist Hacker Bitcoin Would Rather Not Talk About". Vice. Retrieved 13 August 2021.
- ^ "About Us: Personal Statements," Intersango, britcoin.co.uk
- ^ "Cryptoanarchists pull trigger on fight over future of Bitcoin". Financial Times. 31 October 2013.
- ^ Healy, Hazel (1 December 2012). "Internet showdown: Why digital freedom matters to us all". New Internationalist. London. Retrieved 16 August 2022.
- ^ Del Castillo, Michael (24 September 2013). "Dark Wallet: A Radical Way to Bitcoin". The New Yorker. Retrieved 15 May 2014.
- ^ Greenberg, Andy (31 October 2013). "Dark Wallet Aims To Be The Anarchist's Bitcoin App of Choice". Forbes Online. Retrieved 15 May 2014.
- ^ Greenberg, Andy (29 April 2014). "'Dark Wallet' Is About to Make Bitcoin Money Laundering Easier Than Ever". Wired. Retrieved 15 May 2014.
- ^ Greenberg, Andy (24 April 2014). "Inside the 'DarkMarket' Prototype, a Silk Road the FBI Can Never Seize". Wired. Retrieved 23 August 2014.
- ^ Siddique, Haroon (11 June 2013). "G8: riot police enter central London building occupied by protesters". Retrieved 8 July 2015.
- ^ Copestake, Jen (19 September 2014). "Hiding currency in the Dark Wallet". Retrieved 8 July 2015.
- ^ Greenberg, Andy (29 March 2017). "How an anarchist Bitcoin coder found himself fighting ISIS in Syria". Wired. Retrieved 4 October 2018.
- ^ Volpicelli, Gian (6 March 2018). "Amir fought Isis in Syria, now he's enlisting an army of hacker monks to save bitcoin from itself". wired. Retrieved 3 October 2018.
- ^ Schreckinger, Ben (February 2, 2023) "A new crypto threat to government launches." Politico. (Retrieved March 6, 2023).
- ^ Hoback, Cullen (8 October 2024), Money Electric: The Bitcoin Mystery (Documentary), Cullen Hoback, Samson Mow, Ricardo Salinas Pliego, HBO Documentary Films, Hello Pictures, Hyperobject Industries, retrieved 29 October 2024
- ^ Taaki, Amir. "Amir Taaki on Peter Todd". Twitter. Retrieved 29 October 2024.