BitcoinTalk expert list. Who uses the badge.

[vit05]

  I was reading some old threads and in some moments crossed with users who used a badge of Bitcoin Experts. I looked for some more information about them and found no topics. Not even on the original topic. @qwk made a list with some of the users in another topic, but I do not know if it is complete and updated these days. Moreover, there is no information about what they did or who they were.

I added a system of badges to SMF a while ago, though only two are defined now. Here are the current badges:

Bitcoin expert

Dev&Tech only. People with this badge know enough about the Bitcoin network to reimplement something very like it from scratch. They are capable of intelligently discussing the Bitcoin network: current protocol, possible attacks, proposed changes, etc. Criteria: Recommendation by an existing Bitcoin expert or core dev and approval by a forum administrator.

So I decided to make a list with some information about them and link to some personal information outside the forum. If you have any additional information or if you know someone who has this badge but is not on this list, please let me know.

The BitcoinTalk expert list

• Hal Finney

Hal
He was a developer for PGP CorporationPGP and he was very active in Cypherpunk Mailing List and created Reusable Proofs of Work.
If you have never read, please, read his post "Bitcoin and me" "I think I was the first person besides Satoshi to run bitcoin"

• Adam Back

adam3us on Bitcointalk  
He is the inventor of hashcash, the proof-of-work system used by several anti-spam systems. A similar system is used in bitcoin.

• Amir Taaki

genjix
He created the Dark Wallet, DarkMarket. Worked on Electrum. He fought against ISIS.

• Alan Reiner

etotheipi
Founder of Armory wallet

• Mike Hearn

Mike Hearn
Former Google engineer, and a former contributor to Bitcoin Core

• Sergio Demian Lerner

Sergio_Demian_Lerner
He has reported some vulnerabilities and is working on rsk

• Mark Karpelès

MagicalTux
CEO of Mt. Gox

• luke dash jr

Luke-Jr
Bitcoin Core Developer. Created one of the first bitcoin mining pools

• Matt Corallo

Matt Corallo
Bitcoin Dev.

• Meni Rosenfeld

Meni Rosenfeld
Translated Bitcoin's white paper into Hebrew. Created several meetups in Israel. And he was very active in the forum.

• Forrest Voight

forrestv
He was very active in the pool section. Created p2pool.org

• Peter Todd

Peter Todd
Cryptography Consultant. Bitcoin Dev

• Ben Reeves

piuk
Founder of Blockchain.info

• J.R. Willett

dacoinminster
Invented the Mastercoin (Omni) protocol, ICO, Token.

• ByteCoin

I'm still researching about he. But I think it's a person who wants to remain anonymous. Still, it's worth reading every one of his old posts.

• Michael Marquardt

theymos
He is one of the few people that HODL the community too. It is possible to see several people who were very active in various parts of the forum, including people on this list, and who over time look for other interests or other communities. Some of them get tired of Bitcoin and everything that surrounds it. Others get tired of talking and communicating. Others look for different places to express their opinions. And some decides to cut their online activity for security reasons or financial reasons.
So I consider Theymos a community HODL and not just a Bitcoin HODL. He was here when Satoshi was active, he's here right now, and he'll probably be right after a nuclear war.

• Andrew Chow

achow101
Personal Website
Video where he talks about Armory Wallet
Developer, specializing in C++, Python, and Java. Bitcoin Core and Bitcoin Armory developer.
He is the moderator of the Technical Support and Development and Technical Discussion sections of Bitcointalk. And it is one of the core devs that are most present on the BTalk.
[/list]

Later I will put more information about them.

Who do you think should be considered a Bitcoin Expert?
Remember that it only enters the list if someone who is already in it indicates.

I personal believe achow101 deserves to be in it. Since he is one of the most active in the Technicals sections.

[edwardceng]

I believe and can say for sure, you should add -ck (Con Kolivas) to Bitcointalk expert list. Wikipedia link:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Con_Kolivas

[Lauda]

I personal believe achow101 deserves to be in it. Since he is one of the most active in the Technicals sections.

No, way too early.

I believe and can say for sure, you should add -ck (Con Kolivas) to Bitcointalk expert list. Wikipedia link:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Con_Kolivas

Maybe. His Wikipedia page has nothing to do with the Badge that is being talked about here.

Mike Hearn
Mike Hearn
Former Google engineer, and a former contributor to Bitcoin Core

Mark Karpelès
MagicalTux
CEO of Mt. Gox

Both of these don't deserve a badge.

[Quickseller]

I would personally recommend achow101 to be a  Bitcoin expert. His knowledge, experience and contributions to Bitcoin, and the dev/tech sections should speak for themselves. 

[edwardceng]

I believe and can say for sure, you should add -ck (Con Kolivas) to Bitcointalk expert list. Wikipedia link:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Con_Kolivas

Maybe. His Wikipedia page has nothing to do with the Badge that is being talked about here.

Those Wikipedia just one of reference, but I think it related.

Development of the cryptographic currency mining software CGMiner

At least related to a few people that were written by OP.


I think this thread would be help (can be one of reference): https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=557991.0

[Lauda]

-snip-
I think this thread would be help (can be one of reference): https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=557991.0

That thread raises a better question. Why doesn't gmaxwell have that badge? We should award it to the people that have superior knowledge first; that is, if you want to remain fair.

[edwardceng]

-snip-
I think this thread would be help (can be one of reference): https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=557991.0

That thread raises a better question. Why doesn't gmaxwell have that badge? We should award it to the people that have superior knowledge first; that is, if you want to remain fair.

At first, I tried suggesting one people only to OP. With that thread, well yes, maybe I could suggest gmaxwell added to OP's list too (but I didn't know much about him).

Its just personal opinion to add -ck to that list, I have read a few stories about him. And I felt -ck has a good enough contribution.

Yeah, it's fair enough to awarded people with superior knowledge first. But I can't measure it, at all. This is would be a list, so everyone free to suggest people that would be on the list, as long as people that suggested is capable enough related to criteria itself.

[nc50lc]

-snip-

gmaxwell is a core developer, he got a better badge [] than the "book" bitcoin expert badge.
Look at the left side (Under the coins) of his latest post: https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=3069524.msg31735429#msg31735429
achow101 is the best nominee to this list, he can accurately point out and correct mistakes from the member's replies and posts in the D&TD Board.

[Lauda]

-snip-

gmaxwell is a core developer, he got a better badge [] than the "book" bitcoin expert badge.
Look at the left side (Under the coins) of his latest post: https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=3069524.msg31735429#msg31735429

I forgot that both badges only apparently show up in Dev&Tech.

achow101 is the best nominee to this list, he can accurately point out and correct mistakes from the member's replies and posts in the D&TD Board.

Shouldn't he then also get the Bitcoin Core developer badge?

[edwardceng]

achow101 is the best nominee to this list, he can accurately point out and correct mistakes from the member's replies and posts in the D&TD Board.

Shouldn't he then also get the Bitcoin Core developer badge?

This badge refer to Bitcoin-Qt core developer, right? And achow101 one of on the list:

https://bitcoin.org/en/development

But I can see that badge on achow101's profile, even in in Dev&Tech. Can it be disabled?


Edit:

It's clear enough, didn't all of the core developer got those badge.

Bitcoin expert	Dev&Tech only. People with this badge know enough about the Bitcoin network to reimplement something very like it from scratch. They are capable of intelligently discussing the Bitcoin network: current protocol, possible attacks, proposed changes, etc. Criteria: Recommendation by an existing Bitcoin expert or core dev and approval by a forum administrator.
Bitcoin-Qt core developer	Dev&Tech only. These are the core developers of Satoshi's Bitcoin client. They are listed here. Core developers are among the top contributors to Bitcoin-Qt, and they are all bitcoin experts, though they don't also get that badge.
The Glider(hacker symbol)	Awarded for people who have responsibly disclosed forum security flaws.

[Blazed]

-ck wrote Cgminer and is worthy of being on that list. I am amazed that gmaxwell is not considered an expert?? I have to assume anyone who has written code for Core over years is an expert at this point.

[vit05]

The badge is disabled in some sections, so sometimes can be confusing, but he has none. And as it is on the topic, someone on the list needs to indicate.
gmaxwell already has the developer badge. He can not have both.

[vit05]

I'm happy to discover that at some point after I created this topic, achow101 was included in the list of experts. I tried to find the topic where someone has indicate him, but I did not find it. So I believe it was a direct indication to theymos on private or theymos himself chose to do it. I hope this topic has contributed to this decision.

I could not find if anyone else has been included in the list too. I searched the -ck history and could not find the badge, unfortunately. Since he definitely deserved it. =)

[pugman]

Theymos! He should be in the list. He wrote the first ever blockexplorer if I am not mistaken. He also has a bitcoin expert badge. And he is a freaking genius. Include him in the list!

[jackg]

Theymos! He should be in the list. He wrote the first ever blockexplorer if I am not mistaken. He also has a bitcoin expert badge. And he is a freaking genius. Include him in the list!

He was also personally selected by the Bitcoin Founder to host a forum that provides information to users of Bitcoin (this is just as a note not too relevant though, but someone entrusted with a forum would have to be somewhat knowledgeable with it and he has had several years to learn).


Nice list, can you change "Luke Dash Jr" to "Luke Dashir" as he discussed with theymos on reddit that that was his actual name.


Jeff Garzik, -ck are also very knowledgable on cryptocurrency and somehow didn't make the list (jgarzik was a bitcoin core developer previously).

[xtraelv]

What about:

Satoshi Bitcoin and Bitcointalk Founder
Wei Dai creator of the Bitcoin predecessor b-money (1998)
Gavin Andresen Bitcoin Chief Scientist
Sirius Bitcoin Core Developer and Bitcointalk.org domain owner (First dev to work with Satoshi)
theymos Bitcointalk Admin & he wrote the Bitcoin Block Explorer, although he does not run it anymore.
coblee Litecoin Founder
Vitalik Buterin Ethereum Founder
ocminer (Suprnova Mining Pools) who now twice alerted users about verge exploits. In April and May