Event History

Harold “Hal” Finney was a video game developer who became the first employee hired to work for Phil Zimmerman’s crypto-privacy company, the Pretty Good Privacy (PGP) Corporation. A self-described “cypherpunk,” Finney was among the earliest adopters of Bitcoin when its elusive and legendary creator, Satoshi Nakamoto, shared the idea in early 2009.

On January 10, 2009, Finney famously tweeted “Running bitcoin” and, two days later, received the very first Bitcoin transaction of 10 BTC from Satoshi in block 170. This simple message has become an integral part of cryptocurrency history, and is celebrated year after year as “Running Bitcoin Day” in Finney’s honor.

In August 2009, Hal Finney was diagnosed with ALS. He and his wife, Fran, became an integral part of the ALS Network community. Together, they raised over $216,800 with their team, “Hal’s Pals,” through their local community outreach events throughout the years that Hal lived with ALS.

Fran, Hal’s wife and a licensed physical therapist, was his primary caregiver until his death in 2014 and served as a care manager for the ALS Network for many years. She now serves as the Chairperson for the annual Running Bitcoin Challenge, an event she started with other fitness and Bitcoin enthusiasts in 2021, to raise awareness and funds to help find treatments and cures for ALS.