These foundational documents form the bedrock of the Cypherpunk movement. Reading them will provide you with a deep understanding of the ideals and motivations that inspired activists to leverage technology in the defense of individual rights and freedoms.


  • The Crypto Anarchist Manifesto, Timothy May, 1988: The Manifesto envisions a future where individuals can communicate and conduct transactions anonymously, outside the control of governments and centralized institutions. It highlights the potential for cryptography to fundamentally alter the nature of government regulation and societal structures.
  • The Cypherpunk Manifesto, Eric Huges, 1993: The Manifesto advocates for privacy in the digital age, distinguishing it from secrecy. It emphasizes using cryptography and anonymous systems to protect privacy, arguing that individuals must defend themselves and safeguard personal information.
  • Crypto Anarchy and Virtual Communities, Timothy C. May, 1994: The essay argues that strong cryptography and virtual networks will transform economic and social systems, enabling untraceable communications, anonymous identities, and decentralized finance. This technological shift challenges government control and fosters a new era of personal freedom and privacy in cyberspace.
  • The Cyphernomicon, Timothy C. May, 1994: An extensive FAQ and philosophical document by Tim May that outlines the principles, goals, and technological foundations of the Cypherpunk movement.
  • Declaration of independence of cyberspace, John Perry Barlow, 1996: The co-founder of the Electronic Frontier Foundation argues that governments have no authority in the digital realm. He advocates for a free, self-governing cyberspace, independent of traditional legal constraints, and calls for a more humane and fair digital world beyond government control.


These more recent articles and talks assess how technological advancements over the past 30 to 40 years have shaped the Internet and society, evaluating their developments in relation to the original founding values.


  • A Political History of DAOs, Kelsie Nabben, 2022: The article explores the Cypherpunks Mailing List, a 1990s forum that influenced the development of cryptocurrencies and decentralized technologies. It highlights how their vision of cryptography as a tool for self-governance laid the foundation for today's blockchain and Web3 innovations.
  • The Core of Crypto is Punks and Principles, Piergiorgio Catti De Gasperi, 2023: The article examines how privacy-focused intellectuals, the Cypherpunks, pioneered the foundation for Web3. It highlights their concerns about centralization, privacy, and financial transparency, which led to innovations like Bitcoin and Ethereum. By understanding these ideological origins, the article underscores the significance of appreciating Web3’s potential to create a decentralized and fair digital future.
  • Make Ethereum Cypherpunk Again, Vitalik Buterin, 2023: Ethereum co-founder calls for a return to the cypherpunk ideals of a decentralized and open crypto ecosystem. It critiques the shift towards financialization and highlights recent advancements like rollups and zero-knowledge proofs as opportunities to realign with these original values.
  • Make Public Policy Cypherpunk Again, Peter Van Valkenburgh, 2024: Director of Research at Coin Center, reflecting on the state of the crypto and Cypherpunk movements. He critiques the shift from Cypherpunk ideals towards profit-driven activities, warns of increasing government scrutiny, and advocates for stronger privacy protections, decentralized governance, and adherence to the original principles of the movement.





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Books recommended by Web3Privacy Now Community




Cryptography, Privacy and Technology



Name / Author / Recommended by


  • Everybody Lies / @SethS_D / Ben West
  • Surveillance Capitalism / Shoshana Zuboff / Paul Dylan-Ennis, Daniel Thomas, Marko, Michel Bauwens
  • Hypnocracy: Trump, Musk, and the Architecture of Reality / Jianwei Xun / PG
  • Platform Capitalism / Nick Srnicek / PG
  • Digital Minimalism: Choosing a Focused Life in a Noisy World / Cal Newport / PG
  • Black Code / Ronald J. Deibert / Mikerah
  • After the Internet / Tiziana Terranova / PG
  • Algorithms of Resistance: The Everyday Fight against Platform Power / Tiziano Bonini, Emiliano Treré / Michel Bauwens
  • Stuck on the Platform / Geert Lovink / PG, Mykola
  • Cypherpunks / Julian Assange / Juan, PG, Amit Chaudhary
  • Tracers in the Dark / @a_greenberg / Ben West, Gavin Birch
  • Cypherpunk Ethics / Patrick D Anderson / Navio
  • Hacker, Hoaxer, Whistleblower, Spy / Gabriella Coleman / Ann Brody, Mykola
  • Ways of Being / James Brindle / Mykola
  • Extreme Privacy: What It Takes to Disappear / Michael Bazzell / Jarrad Hope
  • Intercept / Gordon Corera / Nick Almond
  • Anti-Tech Revolution: Why & How / Theodore John Kaczynski / Amir Taaki
  • Plurality: The Future of Collaborative Technology & Democracy / Glen Weyl, Audrey Tang / orion
  • What Is Enlightenment?: Google, Wikileaks, and the
  • Reorganization of the World / Assange / Harry Halpin
  • Black Box Society: The Secret Algorithms That Control Money and Information / Frank Pasquale / Michel Bauwens
  • The Eye of the Master: A Social History of Artificial Intelligence / Matteo Pasquinelli / Michel Bauwens
  • The Bleeding Edge: Why Technology Turns Toxic in an Unequal World / Bob Hughes / Michel Bauwens
  • Extreme Privacy / @IntelTechniques / Ben West
  • Recursivity and Contingency / Yuk Hui / Michel Bauwens
  • The Art of Invisibility / @kevinmitnick / Tim
  • The Metric We: On the Quantification of the Social / Steffen Mau / Michel Bauwens
  • Inhuman Power: Artificial Intelligence and the Future of Capitalism / Nick Dyer-Witheford, Atle Mikkola Kjøsen, James Steinhoff / Michel Bauwens
  • Why Privacy Matters / Neil Richards / Ignacio Cofone
  • The Fight for Privacy / Danielle Citron / Ignacio Cofone
    Breached! / @DanielSolove & @hartzog / Ignacio Cofone
  • Between Truth & Power / Julie Cohen / Ignacio Cofone
  • Data Driven / Karen Levy / Ignacio Cofone
  • Industry Unbound / Ari Ezra Waldman / Ignacio Cofone
  • Privacy Is Power / Carissa Véliz / Ignacio Cofone
  • Unwired / Gaia Bernstein / Ignacio Cofone
  • Crypto / @StevenLevy / Ben West
  • Means of Control / @ByronTau / Ben West
  • Sandworm / @a_greenberg / Ben West
  • This Machine Kills Secrets / @a_greenberg / Ben West
  • The Internet Con, Choke Point Capitalism, and How to Destroy Surveillance Capitalism / @doctorow / Ben West
  • Your Face Belongs to Us / @kashhill / Ben West
  • Pegasus / @laurentrichard0 / Ben West
  • Fancy Bear Goes Fishing / @scottjshapiro / Ben West
  • The Woman Who Smashed Codes / @jfagone / Ben West
  • The Code Book / @SLSingh / Ben West
  • Coding Democracy / @maureenwebb / Ben West
  • Future Histories / @_lizzyoshea / Ben West
  • Zero Days / @RuthWareWriter / Ben West
  • Rest is Resistance / Tricia Hersey / Ben West



Decentralization, Economics and other important ideas:



Name / Author / Recommended by


  • Reinventing the Bazaar / John McMillan / Ben West
  • Small is Beautiful / EF Schumacher / Ben West
  • The Life and Times of Liberal Democracy / CB MacPherson / Ben West
  • Sin Patron / @NaomiAKlein / Ben West
  • No Logo / @NaomiAKlein / Ben West
  • Bioregionalism and Civil Society / @mikecarrhistory / Ben West
  • 7 Rules for Sustainable Communities / @pmcondon2 / Ben West
  • Ecological Literacy / @bioneers / Ben West
  • Ecological Economics / Herman Daley / Ben West
  • How Sex Changed the Internet / @samleecole / Ben West
  • Blood in the Machine: The Origins of the Fight Against Big Tech / @bcmerchant / Ben West
  • Bandits / Hobsbawm / Paul Dylan-Ennis
  • The Country and the City / Williams / Paul Dylan-Ennis
  • Walkaway / Cory Doctorow / KP
  • Anarchy, State, and Utopia / Nozick / Shave the Whale
  • Political Theology: Four Chapters on the Concept of Sovereignty / Schmitt / Shave the Whale
  • A Theory of Justice / Rawls / Shave the Whale
  • After Virtue / McIntyre / Shave the Whale
  • Propaganda: The Formation of Men's Attitudes / Jacques Ellul / Shave the Whale
  • The Psychology of Totalitarianism / Mattias Desmet / Daniel Thomas
  • Dark Matters / Simone Browne / Ann Brody
  • The Power of the Powerless / Vaclav Havel / PG
  • Investigative Aesthetics / Fuller, Weizman / Mykola
  • The Open Society and Its Enemies / Popper / Nick Almond
  • Nonzero: History, Evolution & Human Cooperation / Robert Wright / Nick Almond
  • The Agony of Power / Jean Baudrillard / Amir Taaki
  • The Sociology of Freedom / Abdullah Ocalan / Amir Taaki
  • Discipline and Punish: The Birth of the Prison / Foucault / Jaromil
  • Security, Territory, Population / Foucault / Jaromil
    On The Government of the Living (1979–1980) / Foucault / Jaromil
  • Automatic Society / Stiegler / Harry Halpin
  • All Books / Bookchin / Harry Halpin
  • All Books / Ellul / Harry Halpin
  • All Books / Mumford / Harry Halpin
  • Power and Progress / Daron Acemoglu and Simon Johnson / Michel Bauwens
  • Technology, Modernity, and Democracy / Andrew Feenberg / Michel Bauwens
  • The Question Concerning Technology in China / Yuk Hui / Michel Bauwens
  • The Evolution of Media Studies / John David Ebert / Michel Bauwens
  • The Technological Society / Jacques Ellul / Michel Bauwens
  • Man and Technics / Oswald Spengler / Michel Bauwens
  • Technics and Civilization / Lewis Mumford / Michel Bauwens
  • Mechanization Takes Command: A Contribution to
  • Anonymous History / Sigfried Giedion / Michel Bauwens
  • Tools for Conviviality / Ivan Illich / Michel Bauwens
  • The Alphabet vs. the Goddess / Leonard Schlain / Michel Bauwens
  • What Must Be Done / Hans Hoppe / Recursor
  • An Agorist Primer / Sam Konkin / Recursor
    Nations by Consent / Murray Rothbard / Recursor
  • The Politics of Obedience / Etienne de La Boétie / Recursor
  • The Utopia of Rules / David Graeber / Scott Moore
  • Deschooling Society / Ivan Illich / Scott Moore