Knowing the developers: an analysis of Bitcoin Core

Often when we think of open-source software we think of a landscape with hundreds or even thousands of developers all freely working on a project. While it is true that with open-source anyone can write code and submit proposals, most of it works entirely off a merit-based system. It may not be surprising to some, but many popular public blockchain projects intended to eventually be open for all are being built by only a few people.

With the rising popularity of public blockchains like Bitcoin and Ethereum, it is useful to know who the developers of these projects actually are, who they work for (if anyone), and an overall analysis of the progress of what is currently taking place in terms of development. Often, when you hear about certain projects you hear about their apparent use-case, a certain feature that will make it stand out among the others, the amount of money that they may have raised, etc., but what is often lost in the background is the actual people working on and designing these networks.