Bitcoin Institute

Dustin Trammell

Information security researcher who was among the first to run Bitcoin

On January 11, 2009, three days after Bitcoin v0.1’s public release, an Austin-based infosec researcher named Dustin Trammell downloaded the software, ran it, and emailed Satoshi the same day. Three days after that, on January 14, 2009, Satoshi sent him 25 BTC as a test transaction — the second-known person-to-person Bitcoin transfer in history, after the 10 BTC sent to Hal Finney two days earlier.

Trammell is a cybersecurity researcher based in Austin, Texas, known in the infosec community for vulnerability and exploit-development work.

First Contact with Satoshi

On January 11, 2009 — three days after Bitcoin v0.1 was released — Trammell emailed Satoshi Nakamoto after downloading and running the software. He reported his experience and asked questions about the system’s design. Satoshi responded the same day, beginning a brief but significant email correspondence.

Early Mining and Bitcoin Transfer

Trammell began mining Bitcoin in its earliest days, potentially operating one of the first nodes on the network alongside Satoshi and Hal Finney. On January 14, 2009, Satoshi sent Trammell 25 BTC as a test transaction, making it one of the earliest known person-to-person bitcoin transfers (following the 10 BTC Satoshi sent to Hal Finney on January 12). In their correspondence, Satoshi discussed technical details including coin maturity rules and how the system handled new blocks.

Significance

Trammell’s early adoption and his direct correspondence with Satoshi place him among the very first Bitcoin users. His emails with Satoshi — preserved by the Satoshi Nakamoto Institute — date from the weeks when the entire network was a handful of nodes.

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