Silvio Micali
Also known as Silvio M. Micali, S. Micali
Silvio Micali's research on cryptography and information security takes place at MIT's Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory. He studied mathematics at the University of Rome, then earned a computer science PhD at Berkeley. With Shafi Goldwasser, he published “Probabilistic Encryption” in 1982, a paper that lays the framework for modern cryptography. The Gödel Prize he shared in 1993 honored interactive proof systems, and in March 2013 the ACM named him and Goldwasser winners of the Turing Award. He founded Algorand, a blockchain, in 2017, and he oversees all of its research while serving as Ford Professor of Engineering at MIT.
- Now at
- Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Algorand
- Works
- 322
- Citations
- 38,612
- h-index
- 72
Publication numbers from OpenAlex, as of 15 October 2026.
Timeline
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1978
A mathematics degree in Rome
He graduates in mathematics from the University of Rome in 1978, then earns a computer science PhD at UC Berkeley.
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1982
Probabilistic encryption
In 1982 he and Shafi Goldwasser publish “Probabilistic Encryption,” a paper that lays the framework for modern cryptography.
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1983
Joining the MIT faculty
In 1983 he joins the faculty of MIT's Electrical Engineering and Computer Science Department.
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1985
Knowledge complexity paper
In 1985 he and Shafi Goldwasser publish a paper with Charles Rackoff, “The Knowledge Complexity of Interactive Proof Systems.”
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1993
A Gödel Prize
He shares the 1993 Gödel Prize with László Babai, Shafi Goldwasser, Shlomo Moran and Charles Rackoff for work on interactive proof systems.
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March 2013
A shared Turing Award
The ACM names him and Shafi Goldwasser winners of the A.M. Turing Award, announced in March 2013.
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2017
Founding Algorand
In 2017 he founds Algorand, a blockchain described as fully decentralized, secure and scalable.
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As of October 2026
Ford Professor at MIT
He is Ford Professor of Engineering at MIT, and he oversees all research at Algorand. His research at the MIT Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory centers on cryptography and information security.
Sources and credits
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