About Eric Hughes
Born 1953. Eric Hughes is an American mathematician and programmer.
Eric Hughes is an American mathematician, computer programmer, and cypherpunk. He is considered one of the founders of the cypherpunk movement, alongside Timothy C. May and John Gilmore.
He is notable for founding and administering the Cypherpunk mailing list, authoring A Cypherpunk's Manifesto, creating and hosting the first anonymous remailer, and coining the motto, "Cypherpunks write code".
Hughes argued that a wider acceptance of cryptography and privacy in society is necessary for success. He used an example of a Clipper chip as confirmation, where a wide opposition to the chip in society resulted in its rollout halted.
On September 27, 2012, Hughes delivered the keynote address, Putting the Personal Back in Personal Computers, at the Amsterdam CryptoParty.
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Important facts
People in Eric Hughes's life
Named in this biography and alive at the same time
Related people
Same field, nearest in time
Contemporaries
People whose lives overlapped Eric Hughes's
Frequently asked questions
Who is Eric Hughes?
cypherpunk
When was Eric Hughes born?
Eric Hughes was born in 1953.
What is Eric Hughes's occupation?
Eric Hughes is a mathematician and programmer.
What nationality is Eric Hughes?
Eric Hughes is American.
Sources & further reading
· DBpedia: Eric Hughes (cypherpunk)
Cite this page
APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Eric Hughes. https://biography.guide/eric-hughes-mathematician/
MLA: "Eric Hughes." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/eric-hughes-mathematician/.
Chicago: "Eric Hughes." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/eric-hughes-mathematician/.
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