Austin Hill is a Canadian entrepreneur, computer scientist, active investor, and early internet pioneer associated with the cypherpunk movement. He is known for co-founding one of Canada's first internet service providers, Total.Net, the privacy technology company Zero-Knowledge Systems, and the blockchain technology firm Blockstream, where he served as the founding CEO. Across his career, Hill has been involved in founding numerous companies and has raised over $250 million in capital for ventures he led or co-founded. ^[1]​

Career

Early Internet and Privacy Advocacy (1994–2006)

Hill's entrepreneurial career began in the early days of the commercial internet. In 1994, he founded Total.Net, which was one of the first Internet Service Providers (ISPs) in Canada. The company was later acquired by BCE Emergis in 1997. ^[1]​

Following the sale of Total.Net, Hill co-founded Zero-Knowledge Systems in 1997. The company was a significant research firm within the cypherpunk movement, focusing on developing technologies for user privacy, online anonymity, and electronic cash. Zero-Knowledge Systems raised $85 million in venture capital and became known for pioneering anonymous networking technology, including its "Freedom Network," which was an early anonymizing proxy network. The firm also invented cryptographic identity trust metric systems. Hill left Zero-Knowledge Systems in 2006. ^{[1] [2]}​

Venture Capital and Mentorship (2006–Present)

After departing Zero-Knowledge Systems, Hill transitioned into venture capital and mentorship, becoming an active angel investor and social entrepreneur. His focus shifted toward ventures related to "meaningful games and gift economies." During this period, Hill served as a Venture Partner at Montreal Startup and was instrumental in the creation of Real Ventures, which is described as Canada’s leading early-stage venture capital firm. He also acted as a partner with Founder Fuel, the early-stage accelerator associated with Real Ventures. Through these roles, Hill has mentored more than 60 early-stage startup companies. He is also the founder of the investment firm Brudder Ventures. ^[1]​

Blockchain and Cryptocurrency (c. 2014–Present)

Blockstream

Hill is a co-founder of Blockstream, a prominent company in the blockchain and Bitcoin ecosystem, which he helped establish alongside other figures such as Adam Back and Pieter Wuille. He served as the company's founding CEO. ^{[1] [2]}​

As CEO, Hill was responsible for recruiting key personnel, including current CEO Adam Back. Back has publicly credited Hill as the "co-founder CEO of blockstream" who led the company's initial fundraising efforts. Hill successfully secured Blockstream's initial seed funding round and its subsequent Series A round. In total, he raised 18-million oversubscribed seed round in 2014. ^{[1] [3] [2]}​

WINGS Platform

Hill also served as an advisor and principal at the WINGS Platform, a project that focused on decentralized autonomous organizations (DAOs) and facilitating project funding on the blockchain. ^[2]​

Coindesk Interview (2021)

In an August 30, 2021, interview on the CoinDesk show "Money Reimagined," hosts Sheila Warren and Michael Casey spoke with Austin Hill about his history in the crypto space, his philosophical motivations, and his views on the industry's future. Key points from the discussion include:

• Early Cypherpunk Roots: Hill discussed his involvement in privacy-enhancing technologies that predated Bitcoin, including his work in the 1990s with Zero-Knowledge Systems, a company focused on building digital privacy infrastructure.
• The Vulnerable World Hypothesis: He explained his perspective on the "Vulnerable World Hypothesis," the idea that as technology becomes more powerful, the potential for catastrophic events caused by small groups increases. He stated that he views decentralized technologies like Bitcoin as essential tools for building a more resilient society.
• Founding of Blockstream: Hill recounted the formation of Blockstream, where he was the first CEO, to fund and support the development of Bitcoin's core protocol. He mentioned technical challenges from that time, such as developing Sidechains and addressing the "transaction malleability bug."
• Evolution of the Crypto Space: He reflected on the shift from the early, ideologically-driven cypherpunk era to the current, more financially-focused crypto industry, expressing his hope for its future while emphasizing the foundational principles of privacy and decentralization. ^[4]

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