It is with profound sadness that we share the news that Dan Hughes, the founder and original architect of the Radix network, passed away unexpectedly from natural causes at his home on Sunday night.

Dan was a visionary, a builder, and a relentless problem-solver. For over a decade, he dedicated himself to solving the core technical challenges holding back decentralised ledger technology. He wasn’t driven by recognition or hype, but by a deep conviction that better systems could, and must, be built.

In 2019, Forbes profiled Dan as a brilliant and unconventional mind; someone who stepped away from the noise to focus on solving blockchain’s deepest problems. The result was Cerberus, the Radix Engine, and the core architecture that underpins the Radix network today.

Dan grew up in Stoke-on-Trent in the UK and was a straight-talking Northerner to his core. He wasn’t Silicon Valley polished, and he never pretended to be. That was part of what made him so compelling. He gave everyone the time of day, treated people with respect, and believed in fair, honest dialogue. Whether you were a new developer, a community member, or an industry veteran, Dan made you feel heard. That authenticity, humility, and clarity of thought are what drew so many people to him, and to the vision he carried.

In recent months, Dan had stepped back into the spotlight to help guide Radix through the next stage of its journey. He was leading the Hyperscale test, reinvigorating public dialogue, and deeply engaged in driving Radix forward. His energy and optimism were contagious, and his belief in what Radix could achieve remained stronger than ever.

Dan’s passing is a huge loss, for all of us who worked alongside him, for the Radix community, and the broader decentralised technology space. His absence will be felt profoundly.

At the same time, Dan’s work and vision live on. The foundations he built are robust, battle-tested, and already in the hands of thousands of developers and users. The roadmap he shaped remains in motion, and the team he assembled shares his values and is committed to delivering on the vision Dan started.

The sudden loss of a founder inevitably brings disruption, particularly when that founder has been so central to both the technology and the vision. While we are navigating a moment of real grief and uncertainty, we are also taking careful steps to ensure continuity and stability.

As a first step, Adam Simmons (Chief Strategy Officer) and Jonathan Day (Finance Director) will join Andy Jarrett (CEO) as Directors of the Radix Foundation. Jonathan has been with the Foundation since 2023 and is a co-founder of Blockchain Jersey, a business which works closely with government and regulators. He has been involved in crypto since 2011 and has worked with a number of firms including CoinShares and Binance, and has been hands-on in multiple Hyperscale tests, running nodes, and quietly earning a reputation as an unexpected but passionate Radix DeFi enthusiast.

Radix has always been more than one person, but Dan was at its core. The best way we can honour his memory is to continue building with the same rigour, passion, integrity, and commitment that defined him. Together, we will ensure his legacy not only endures, but becomes what he always believed it could be.

Over the coming days, we invite the community to share respectful tributes and reflections in the Radix Telegram or Discord. These spaces will be actively moderated to ensure they remain respectful, thoughtful, and supportive during this time.

As a team, we’ll be taking a short period to process this loss and focus on ensuring operational stability. We appreciate your understanding that we will not be engaging in public discussions or replying to individual messages until we are ready to share a more detailed update.

On behalf of Dan’s family, we also ask for respect, compassion, and patience as they grieve privately.

To close, we simply want to say:

Thank you, Dan. You changed all of our lives, and your legacy will continue to do so for many more.

Radix Team.

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