Jeff Garzik is the co-founder Bloq and Hemi Labs. As the co-founder of Hemi, he leads the development of a Layer 2 network designed to bring Ethereum-compatible programmability to the Bitcoin ecosystem. ^{[1] [2]}​

Education

Garzik attended the Georgia Institute of Technology, where he studied Computer Science. His early technical experience also includes contributions to putting CNN.com online. ^[2]

Career

Early Career and Open Source

Garzik's career is rooted in open-source software development. He spent ten years as a systems engineer at Red Hat, where he made significant contributions to the Linux kernel. His work from this period is now integral to Linux-based data centers and all Android-based mobile devices. ^[1] He also served as a board member for The Linux Foundation. ^[3] In the late 1990s, he contributed to the GNOME project's core libraries, fixing bugs and adding new data structures to the GLib library. ^[2]​

Bitcoin Development

Garzik became involved with Bitcoin in July 2010 after reading a post on the news aggregation site Slashdot about the version 0.3 release of the Bitcoin software. ^[3] He quickly became one of the first and most significant developers to work on the Bitcoin Core codebase after its creator, Satoshi Nakamoto. ^[4] During his five years as a core developer, he was the third most prolific contributor to the original software, focusing on scaling its infrastructure during its formative years. ^[5] Garzik has stated that he does not know the identity of Satoshi Nakamoto and believes the creator's anonymity allowed the project to succeed without being tied to a single individual's ego. ^[3]​

Entrepreneurial Ventures

After his work on Bitcoin Core, Garzik co-founded several companies. He is the co-founder and CEO of Bloq, an enterprise blockchain technology company. ^{[2] [6]} In 2024, he co-founded Hemi Labs to develop the Hemi network. ^[7]​

Hemi Network

As co-founder of Hemi, Garzik leads a project aimed at expanding Bitcoin's utility. Hemi is a Layer 2 network designed to function as a "supernetwork" that unifies the Bitcoin and Ethereum ecosystems by adding a programmable, EVM-compatible layer to Bitcoin. ^{[8] [9]} Garzik leads the project alongside co-founders Matthew Roszak, a crypto investor, and Maxwell Sanchez, the network's lead architect. ^[10] The stated mission of Hemi is to make Bitcoin a productive and programmable asset for decentralized finance (DeFi) without altering Bitcoin's base layer. Garzik has stated, "From Linux to Bitcoin to Hemi, my mission has always been building infrastructure that lasts." ^[10]​

Technology

The Hemi network incorporates several key technologies developed under the leadership of Garzik and his team. ^[7]​

• Hemi Virtual Machine (hVM): This is a modified version of the Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM) that embeds a full Bitcoin node. This design allows developers to write smart contracts in languages like Solidity that can natively read and interact with Bitcoin's state, enabling the creation of "Bitcoin-aware" decentralized applications (dApps). ^[11]
• Proof-of-Proof (PoP): Invented by Hemi co-founder Maxwell Sanchez, PoP is a consensus mechanism designed to inherit the security of the Bitcoin blockchain. "PoP Miners" on the Hemi network take snapshots of Hemi's state and publish them to Bitcoin's blockchain, anchoring Hemi's security to Bitcoin's Proof-of-Work. ^{[7] [12]}
• Trust-Minimized Tunnels: For cross-chain asset transfers between Bitcoin, Ethereum, and the Hemi network, the project uses a proprietary protocol described as "trust-minimized tunnels." This mechanism functions as a type of bridge that avoids wrapping assets, aiming to provide a more secure alternative to traditional bridging solutions. ^[3]
• Hemi Bitcoin Kit (hBK): A software development kit designed to simplify the process for developers to build applications on Hemi by abstracting the complexities of the hVM's precompiles. ^[7]

In explaining the project's value, Garzik stated, "Bitcoin doesn’t need to be reinvented; it just needs the right tools around it. Hemi provides DeFi protocols with a familiar way to build on Bitcoin, without requiring new skills, compromising on security, or sacrificing decentralization.” ^[13]​

History and Milestones

Hemi Labs launched the project's testnet on July 24, 2024, during the Bitcoin Nashville conference. ^[7] The mainnet for Hemi debuted on March 12, 2025, with a reported 440 million. ^[8]​

By May 2025, the network's TVL had surpassed $1.2 billion, and by August 2025, the ecosystem reported over 100,000 verified users and more than 70 ecosystem partners, including Sushi, LayerZero, and MetaMask. ^{[13] [10]}​

Views and Philosophy

Garzik is an outspoken advocate for decentralized systems and has shared his views on the evolution of the cryptocurrency industry. He describes himself as an "energy/acc humanist" and a "network plumber" in his social media profiles. ^[4]​

He has been critical of centralized financial entities and regulators, particularly in the aftermath of the FTX collapse. In November 2022, he posted on X (formerly Twitter), "What was SBF lobbying against? DeFi. What would have prevented this? DeFi. What exchanges already publish real-time proof-of-reserves? DeFi. What will US regulators try to shut down? DeFi." ^[4] He has also expressed skepticism about the development pace of other Bitcoin scaling solutions, such as the Lightning Network. ^[4]​

Garzik argues against "Bitcoin Maximalism," the idea that Bitcoin will be the only valuable cryptocurrency. In a June 2025 opinion piece, he wrote, “The idea that one coin must dominate all others ignores the power of collaboration and innovation.” This philosophy aligns with his work on Hemi, which he describes as a bridge between the Bitcoin and Ethereum ecosystems rather than a competitor. ^[5] When asked what Satoshi Nakamoto might think of the modern crypto landscape, Garzik speculated that Satoshi would be pleased with Bitcoin's global resilience but "disappointed" by the industry's hype cycles and projects that stray from the core principles of decentralization. ^[3]​

Interviews

Working With Satoshi and Early Bitcoin #01

An interview with Jeff Garzik published on the YouTube channel Forward Guidance on January 30, 2020 documents his account of the early period of Bitcoin development and his technical involvement in the project. Garzik is the CEO and co founder of Bloq and has a background in open source software development, including contributions to the Linux kernel, work that later intersected with his activities in blockchain related infrastructure.

The interview states that Garzik became involved with Bitcoin around 2010 and communicated directly with Satoshi Nakamoto during that period. These interactions are described as focused on software development and code review, without emphasis on personal identity. Garzik reports that Satoshi’s anonymity coincided with a development process centered on technical contributions and peer evaluation. He also indicates that he wrote an early CPU based Bitcoin miner, reflecting the limited mining specialization present at the time.

Garzik describes the subsequent development of the Bitcoin ecosystem, referencing the appearance of alternative cryptocurrencies, sidechains, and layered scaling designs. He outlines a model in which Bitcoin’s base protocol remains relatively stable while additional functionality is developed through secondary layers or related systems. The interview also includes his assessment of how differing funding structures and governance models, including those associated with Ethereum, contributed to social divisions within the broader cryptocurrency community.

The discussion further presents Bitcoin as both a technical system and a coordination framework involving developers, users, and other participants. Garzik characterizes protocol debates and governance disputes as recurring features of decentralized systems, arising from the absence of centralized decision making rather than from isolated technical issues. ^[2]

Interview on Bitcoin and Ethereum Convergence #02

On October 31, 2025, Jeff Garzik appeared on the YouTube channel Cryptonews Spotlight to discuss topics related to Bitcoin, the broader cryptocurrency market, and interactions between Bitcoin and Ethereum based systems. Garzik participated in the interview in his capacity as a former Bitcoin Core contributor and as chief executive officer of Bloq and Hemi Network. During the discussion, he addressed recurring public speculation regarding the identity of Satoshi Nakamoto, stating that, in his assessment, Jack Dorsey is not Satoshi. He based this position on differences in publicly observable technical knowledge and learning progression following Bitcoin’s initial release.

The interview also covered Garzik’s perspective on Bitcoin market conditions following a price peak. He referenced activity involving digital asset treasuries, exchange traded funds, and stablecoin issuers as factors influencing institutional participation in the Bitcoin market. These elements were discussed as part of broader capital allocation trends rather than short term market movements.

Another topic addressed was the interaction between Bitcoin and Ethereum ecosystems. Garzik described efforts to expand Bitcoin’s functionality through programmability while maintaining its existing security characteristics. In this context, he referenced Hemi as an initiative intended to enable decentralized finance related activity connected to Bitcoin, using mechanisms that interface with Ethereum compatible smart contract environments and without the use of wrapped Bitcoin tokens.

Additional subjects included multi chain liquidity, changes within decentralized finance platforms, and developments related to stablecoins and corporate digital asset treasury management. Garzik presented these points as observations on how Bitcoin is being incorporated into a wider range of financial and technical use cases, without altering its underlying protocol design. ^[15]