Moxie Marlinspike
Cryptographer who created the Signal messaging app and protocol
- Works listed
- 2
- Messaging app, Cryptographic protocol
- Honours
- 1
- Most recent 2017
- Profile views
- 3
- 0 followers
Moxie Marlinspike is an American cryptographer and entrepreneur who created Signal, the encrypted messaging app, and co-authored the Signal Protocol. The protocol’s end-to-end encryption now protects billions of messages, including on WhatsApp.
Biography
Background
Marlinspike, a pseudonym, grew up in Georgia and moved to San Francisco, working in software. He became known in the security community for research on flaws in SSL/TLS, including tools such as sslstrip.
Whisper Systems and Twitter
He co-founded Whisper Systems, which made encrypted phone apps; Twitter bought it in 2011 and he briefly led Twitter’s security team.
Signal
He founded Open Whisper Systems and in 2014–15 released Signal, combining encrypted texting and calls. The Signal Protocol, designed with Trevor Perrin, was adopted by WhatsApp in 2016, bringing end-to-end encryption to over a billion users. The Signal Foundation was formed in 2018.
Later
He stepped down as Signal’s CEO in 2022. He is also known for his sailing adventures, recorded in the film Hold Fast.
Timeline
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2009
Releases sslstrip
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2010
Co-founds Whisper Systems
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2011
Twitter acquires Whisper Systems
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2013
Founds Open Whisper Systems
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2015
Signal app released
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2016
WhatsApp adopts the Signal Protocol
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2018
Signal Foundation formed
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2022
Steps down as Signal CEO
Notable works
-
2015
Signal Messaging app
-
2013
Signal Protocol Cryptographic protocol
With Trevor Perrin.
Awards and honours
-
Levchin Prize for Real-World Cryptography
2017
Did you know?
-
1
“Moxie Marlinspike” is not his birth name.
-
2
Edward Snowden has said he uses Signal.
-
3
The Signal Foundation was funded by WhatsApp co-founder Brian Acton.
Connections
Frequently asked
Who is Moxie Marlinspike?
Moxie Marlinspike is an American cryptographer and entrepreneur who created Signal, the encrypted messaging app, and co-authored the Signal Protocol. The protocol’s end-to-end encryption now protects billions of messages, including on WhatsApp.
Where is Moxie Marlinspike from?
Moxie Marlinspike was born in Georgia, United States.
What is Moxie Marlinspike known for?
Moxie Marlinspike is best known for Signal messenger; the Signal Protocol used by WhatsApp; Open Whisper Systems.
What awards has Moxie Marlinspike received?
Notable honours include Levchin Prize for Real-World Cryptography (2017).
References
- Moxie Marlinspike — Wikipedia. Wikipedia. Retrieved 4 November 2026.
- Moxie Marlinspike — IMDb. IMDb. Retrieved 4 November 2026.
- Official website. moxie.org. Retrieved 4 November 2026.
- Moxie Marlinspike (Q16732015) — structured data. Wikidata. Retrieved 4 November 2026.
Includes material from the Wikipedia article “Moxie Marlinspike”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. That text is available under the same licence. Learn more
External links
About this profile
- Researched by the TrackFame editorial team; reviewed by Sanjay Sokal under our editorial policy
- First published 4 November 2026
- Last updated
Cite this page
“Moxie Marlinspike.” TrackFame, last updated 5 November 2026. https://trackfame.com/person/moxie-marlinspike
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