Charles Hoskinson
Charles Hoskinson | |
---|---|
![]() Charles Hoskinson | |
Born | November 5, 1987 |
Nationality | American |
Scientific career | |
Fields | digital currencies, Blockchain |
Website | iohk.io |
Notes | |
Mathematician |
Charles Hoskinson (born November 5, 1987)[1] is a mathematician,[2] founder of Cardano[3] and co-founder of Ethereum,[4][5][6] which are two of the world’s most popular cryptocurrency networks.[7]
Career[edit]
He attended Metropolitan State University of Denver and University of Colorado Boulder to study analytic number theory.[8]
In 2013 Hoskinson quit a consulting job to begin a project called the Bitcoin Education Project. According to Hoskinson, "the limited supply makes [Bitcoin] like digital gold".[9][10]
Ethereum[edit]
Hoskinson joined the Ethereum founding team (one of eight original founders) with Vitalik Buterin in late 2013 and left in June 2014.[5] Hoskinson left Ethereum after a dispute about accepting venture capital and need for a more formal governing structure. Following his departure from Ethereum he took a six month sabbatical and contemplated returning to mathematics.[9]
IOHK & Cardano[edit]
After his departure from Ethereum he was approached by former Ethereum colleague Jeremy Wood to form a new project called IOHK (Input Output Hong Kong), an engineering and research company that builds cryptocurrencies and blockchains.[9] IOHK's key project is Cardano, a public blockchain and smart-contract platform that hosts the ADA cryptocurrency.[9][11] Charles Hoskinson claims Cardano is more energy efficient than Bitcoin.[12]
Growth of the Wyoming cryptocurrency industry, including IOHK and Kraken (company), has inspired a columnist of a Scottish newspaper to speculate about also considering blockchain industries.[13]
University Involvement[edit]
In 2017, Hoskinson and IOHK sponsored research labs focusing on blockchain technology at the University of Edinburgh and the Tokyo Institute of Technology.[14][15] In 2020, Hoskinson opened a blockchain research project at the University of Wyoming. The collaboration involved a gift of $500,000 for the University of Wyoming to support the development of blockchain technology through the creation of a UWYO-IOHK Advanced Blockchain and Development Laboratory. IOHK also has ties to the University of Edinburgh with their Chief Scientist, Aggelos Kiayias[16][17]
Views on Bitcoin[edit]
According to Hoskinson, Bitcoin's growth in power consumption (see Bitcoin#Energy consumption) has been inevitable stating: "Bitcoin's energy consumption has more than quadrupled since the beginning of its last peak in 2017 and it is set to get worse because energy inefficiency is built into bitcoin's DNA".[12] When confronted with a University of Cambridge study showing Bitcoin's 110 TWh annual energy consumption Hoskinson commented "That’s an unfathomable amount of electricity".[18]
See also[edit]
- Gavin Wood – Ethereum co-founder and CTO
- Joseph Lubin – Ethereum co-founder
References[edit]
- ^ @IOHK_Charles (November 4, 2017). "Birthdate" (Tweet). Retrieved October 11, 2020 – via Twitter.
- ^ Solman, Paul (October 9, 2013). "The Mathematician's Defense of Bitcoin: It's Just Another Option". PBS NewsHour. Retrieved June 12, 2020.
- ^ Duffy, Jim (June 3, 2020). "Will Cardano shake finance to its foundations? Jim Duffy comment". The Scotsman. Retrieved June 11, 2020.
- ^ Roose, Kevin (September 15, 2017). "Is There a Cryptocurrency Bubble? Just Ask Doge". The New York Times. Retrieved June 12, 2020.
- ^ a b Russo, Camila (July 18, 2017). "Ethereum Co-Founder Says Crypto Coin Market Is a Time-Bomb". Bloomberg. Retrieved April 22, 2020.
- ^ "Global Promise and Momentum of Cryptocurrency & Blockchain - Kellee Marlow & Charles Hoskinson". Spark Podcast. May 28, 2020. Retrieved June 1, 2020.
- ^ Hackett, Robert (April 8, 2019). "Ethereum Cofounder Says Blockchain Presents 'Governance Crisis'". Fortune. Retrieved April 1, 2020.
- ^ "Charles Hoskinson". RSA Conference. Retrieved June 12, 2020.
- ^ a b c d Angel Au-Yeung (7 February 2018). "A Fight Over Ethereum Led A Cofounder To Even Greater Crypto Wealth". Forbes Magazine. Retrieved 12 July 2020.
IOHK's key project: Cardano, a public blockchain and smart-contract platform which hosts the Ada cryptocurrency.
- ^ Gustke, Constance (3 July 2013). "Does digital currency have staying power?". BBC. Retrieved 1 November 2020.
- ^ Sugiura, Eri (July 2, 2018). "Startups push blockchain beyond cryptocurrency". Nikkei Asian Review. Retrieved June 12, 2020.
- ^ a b "How bad is Bitcoin for the environment really?". Independent. 12 February 2021. Retrieved 15 February 2021.
requires nearly as much energy as the entire country of Argentina
- ^ Duffy, Jim (September 17, 2020). "Wyoming's cryptocurrency entrepreneurs should inspire Scotland". The Scotsman. Retrieved October 31, 2020.
- ^ Williams-Grut, Oscar (February 24, 2017). "The University of Edinburgh is launching a blockchain research lab with one of the cofounders of Ethereum". Business Insider Australia. Retrieved March 28, 2020.
- ^ "Beyond Bitcoin - IOHK and University of Edinburgh establish Blockchain Technology Laboratory". The University of Edinburgh. February 1, 2019. Retrieved March 31, 2020.
- ^ "UW Receives $500,000 Gift in Ada Cryptocurrency from IOHK". The University of Wyoming. February 14, 2020. Retrieved May 5, 2020.
- ^ Hamilton, Eve (February 14, 2020). "University of Wyoming Receives $500,000 Cryptocurrency Donation". KGAB AM650. Retrieved May 5, 2020.
- ^ "Bitcoin's wild ride renews worries about its massive carbon footprint". CNBC. 9 February 2021. Retrieved 15 February 2021.
Bitcoin has a carbon footprint comparable to that of New Zealand