# Trevor Perrin

> Trevor Perrin is an applied cryptographer who co-created the Signal Protocol with Moxie Marlinspike - the encryption backbone now protecting conversations for over a billion people across Signal, WhatsApp, and beyond. He also designed the Noise Protocol Framework, a foundational cryptographic framework deployed in WireGuard, WhatsApp's client-server layer, and the Lightning Network. A 2017 Levchin Prize winner, Perrin works as an independent consultant on quantum readiness and cryptographic systems design.

- **Role:** Independent Cryptographic Consultant
- **Organizations:** Signal, Open Whisper Systems, Cryptography Research, noiseprotocol.org
- **Nationality:** American
- **Education:** BS, UC Berkeley
- **Known for:** Co-created the Signal Protocol (with Moxie Marlinspike), protecting conversations for over 1 billion people across Signal, WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, and Google Allo, Co-invented the Double Ratchet Algorithm (originally 'Axolotl Ratchet'), the cryptographic core of modern secure messaging, Designed the Noise Protocol Framework, deployed in WireGuard VPN, WhatsApp client-server, Lightning Network, and Slack

## Career timeline

- **2003** — Published 'Public key distribution through cryptoIDs' at NSPW 2003
- **2007** — Co-authored RFC 5054 - Secure Remote Password (SRP) Protocol for TLS Authentication
- **~2009-2012** — Worked at Cryptography Research (with Paul Kocher) on applied cryptographic systems
- **2013** — Joined Open Whisper Systems; co-developed the Axolotl Ratchet (Double Ratchet Algorithm) with Moxie Marlinspike
- **2014** — Signal Protocol publicly introduced as TextSecure v2 in February; presented at CloudFlare meetup
- **2015** — Developed the Noise Protocol Framework; presented at NorthSec 2015
- **2016** — Signal Protocol and Double Ratchet Algorithm officially renamed; Noise Protocol Framework published; presented at Stanford
- **2017** — Awarded the Levchin Prize for Real World Cryptography jointly with Moxie Marlinspike; spoke at RWC 2017 and 34C3
- **2020** — Co-authored 'The Signal Private Group System and Anonymous Credentials' published at CCS 2020
- **2022** — Co-authored 'Proofs of discrete logarithm equality across groups' (IACR ePrint)
- **2023-present** — Working as independent consultant on quantum readiness and cryptographic inventory assessment

## Achievements

- Co-created the Signal Protocol (with Moxie Marlinspike), protecting conversations for over 1 billion people across Signal, WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, and Google Allo
- Co-invented the Double Ratchet Algorithm (originally 'Axolotl Ratchet'), the cryptographic core of modern secure messaging
- Designed the Noise Protocol Framework, deployed in WireGuard VPN, WhatsApp client-server, Lightning Network, and Slack
- Won the 2017 Levchin Prize for Real World Cryptography for the Signal Protocol
- Co-authored RFC 5054 (SRP for TLS authentication) in 2007
- Contributed the VXEdDSA signature scheme for cryptographic applications
- Designed the TACK TLS extension for certificate key pinning

## Latest updates

- **2022-01** — Co-authored 'Proofs of discrete logarithm equality across groups' published in IACR Cryptology ePrint Archive
- **2020-11** — Co-authored 'The Signal Private Group System and Anonymous Credentials Supporting Efficient Verifiable Encryption' at CCS 2020
- **2023-01** — Working as independent consultant focused on quantum readiness and cryptographic inventory assessment

## Links

- Website: https://moderncrypto.org
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/trevor-perrin-b610994/
- Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/trevp__
- GitHub: https://github.com/trevp

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/trevor-perrin
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-05-06