If you have ever downloaded a large file using a torrent, you may have wondered about the person who created the technology behind it.
The name Bram Cohen is closely connected with the history of torrenting. In 2001, the American programmer created the BitTorrent protocol, a peer-to-peer technology that changed how large files could be distributed over the internet.
But what happened to Bram Cohen after BitTorrent became one of the most important technologies on the internet?
Did he become extremely wealthy from torrents? Did he face legal problems because of piracy? Did he disappear from the technology industry?
The real story is more complicated — and much more interesting.
Who Is Bram Cohen?
Bram Cohen is an American computer programmer best known as the inventor of the BitTorrent protocol.
He was born in New York City in 1975 and became interested in computers and programming at an early age.
His Early Career
Before creating BitTorrent, Cohen worked on several technology projects and spent time at MojoNation, a peer-to-peer technology company.
His experience with distributed computing helped him understand some of the problems with traditional file-sharing systems.
At the time, downloading a large file generally meant getting the data from a central server or another individual computer.
That approach could become extremely slow when many people wanted the same file at the same time.
Cohen wanted to solve this problem.
How Did Bram Cohen Create BitTorrent?
In 2001, Cohen developed a new peer-to-peer protocol designed to distribute large files more efficiently.
Instead of downloading an entire file from one location, BitTorrent could divide the file into smaller pieces.
Users could download different pieces from multiple computers at the same time.
The Basic Idea Behind BitTorrent
Imagine that 1,000 people want to download the same large file.
With a traditional download system, all 1,000 people might depend on one server.
With BitTorrent, people who already have parts of the file can share those pieces with other users.
As more people participate in the swarm, there can be more sources from which pieces of the file can be downloaded.
This made BitTorrent particularly effective for distributing large files.
When Was BitTorrent Released?
Cohen publicly released BitTorrent in 2001.
The first public announcement was made on July 2, 2001.
At first, the launch was far from spectacular.
There was no massive marketing campaign or major technology company behind it.
It was essentially a programmer sharing a new piece of software with the internet.
But the technology quickly attracted attention.
Why Did BitTorrent Become So Popular?
One of the biggest advantages of BitTorrent was its ability to distribute large amounts of data without requiring a single server to handle every download.
Linux Distributions Were an Early Use Case
One important legitimate use of BitTorrent was distributing large open-source software packages.
Linux distributions, for example, could be downloaded by large numbers of people without putting all of the bandwidth burden on a single server.
This demonstrated that BitTorrent wasn’t created specifically for piracy.
Then Piracy Became a Major Use Case
Unfortunately for Cohen, BitTorrent became strongly associated with copyright infringement.
Torrent websites began indexing torrent files and magnet links for movies, music, games, television shows and software.
This created a massive ecosystem around torrenting.
The important distinction is that BitTorrent itself is a file-distribution protocol, not a piracy website.
The technology can be used to distribute both legal and unauthorized content.
Did Bram Cohen Create The Pirate Bay?
No.
This is a common misunderstanding.
Bram Cohen created BitTorrent, the underlying peer-to-peer protocol.
Websites such as The Pirate Bay were separate services that used BitTorrent technology to help users find torrent content.
BitTorrent itself did not function as a centralized search engine for pirated material.
That separation was also important to the technology’s early development.
Did Bram Cohen Get Arrested?
No.
Bram Cohen was not arrested for creating BitTorrent.
The existence of illegal uses of a technology does not automatically make the technology itself illegal.
BitTorrent also had many legitimate uses, including software distribution and other large-file delivery applications.
Cohen’s approach was partly based on creating a general-purpose protocol rather than a centralized piracy service.
Did Bram Cohen Make Millions From BitTorrent?
This is where the story gets interesting.
Creating one of the most influential internet technologies does not necessarily mean becoming one of the world’s richest technology founders.
Cohen and Ashwin Navin co-founded BitTorrent, Inc. in 2004 to develop the technology commercially.
The company raised significant investment and explored different ways to build a business around BitTorrent.
However, turning the protocol’s enormous popularity into a massive conventional software business proved difficult.
The Problem With BitTorrent
The technology was incredibly popular, but much of the public attention surrounding it was connected to piracy.
That made commercial partnerships more complicated.
BitTorrent Inc. attempted to build legitimate businesses around the technology, including products and services aimed at distributing digital media.
But competing with established media distribution businesses was difficult.
BitTorrent Became Huge Anyway
Despite the commercial challenges, the underlying technology became extraordinarily important.
At its peak, BitTorrent represented a significant share of global internet traffic.
Chia Network’s current biography of Cohen notes that BitTorrent accounted for 43% to 70% of internet traffic in 2009, although measurements and methodologies varied.
The technology had effectively become one of the internet’s major methods for moving large amounts of data.
So What Happened to BitTorrent?
The BitTorrent company continued developing its software and expanding its products.
But Cohen eventually moved on.
Bram Cohen Left BitTorrent in 2017
Cohen left BitTorrent in August 2017.
He then focused his attention on a completely different technology: blockchain.
He founded Chia Network, a company built around a blockchain designed to use a consensus mechanism called Proof of Space and Time.
What Is Bram Cohen Doing Now?
Bram Cohen did not disappear after leaving BitTorrent.
He moved into the blockchain industry and became the founder and chief technology officer of Chia Network.
According to Chia’s current team page, Cohen is now Chairman of the Board, Founder and Chief Technology Officer. Gene Hoffman is listed as Chia’s CEO and President.
From File Sharing to Blockchain
There is actually an interesting connection between Cohen’s two major projects.
BitTorrent was built around decentralization and distributing information across many computers.
Chia also focuses heavily on decentralized technology, although it is designed for a very different purpose.
Instead of creating another file-sharing protocol, Cohen turned his attention toward decentralized digital assets and blockchain infrastructure.
What Happened to BitTorrent After Bram Cohen Left?
Bram Cohen’s departure wasn’t the end of BitTorrent.
The company continued operating after he left.
In 2018, BitTorrent was acquired by TRON, the blockchain platform founded by Justin Sun.
The acquisition attracted significant attention because BitTorrent was already one of the most recognizable names in peer-to-peer technology.
Cohen, however, was no longer running BitTorrent when the acquisition happened.
Did Justin Sun Buy BitTorrent From Bram Cohen?
Not exactly.
This is another important distinction.
Cohen had already left BitTorrent in 2017.
The acquisition happened in 2018, after his departure.
Therefore, it would be incorrect to say that Justin Sun bought BitTorrent directly from Bram Cohen.
Instead, TRON acquired BitTorrent’s company after Cohen had moved on.
Did Bram Cohen Become Rich From BitTorrent?
Cohen did raise substantial investment through BitTorrent, Inc., and the company became a major technology business.
However, many internet stories exaggerate how much money he personally made.
There is no reliable public evidence supporting some of the enormous personal-fortune figures that are occasionally repeated online.
The more important part of his legacy is arguably the technology itself.
BitTorrent became one of the most influential peer-to-peer protocols ever created.
Why Was BitTorrent So Important?
Before BitTorrent, large-scale file distribution was heavily dependent on centralized infrastructure.
BitTorrent introduced a model in which users could effectively contribute bandwidth to the distribution process.
A Simple Example
Suppose a server has a 10 GB file.
If 10,000 people download that file directly from the server, the server needs to deliver an enormous amount of data.
With BitTorrent, users who have already downloaded pieces can share those pieces with others.
The network effectively distributes some of the workload among its participants.
This is one reason BitTorrent became so efficient for large-scale file distribution.
Did BitTorrent Destroy the Internet?
No.
In fact, BitTorrent helped demonstrate how decentralized networks could be used to distribute enormous amounts of data.
The technology has been used for both legitimate and unauthorized purposes.
Legal Uses of BitTorrent
BitTorrent technology can be used for:
- Linux distributions
- Open-source software
- Large datasets
- Public-domain files
- Software updates
- Large media files distributed legally
- Decentralized data distribution
Illegal Uses
The same technology can also be used to distribute copyrighted material without permission.
That is where much of the controversy surrounding torrenting comes from.
The important point is that the protocol itself doesn’t determine whether the content being shared is legal.
Why Didn’t Bram Cohen Shut Down Torrenting?
He couldn’t simply shut down torrenting.
BitTorrent is a protocol, rather than one centralized website.
Even if one company disappeared, the underlying technology could continue to exist in different implementations.
This is one of the reasons decentralized technologies can be difficult to control.
Did Bram Cohen Regret Creating BitTorrent?
There is no simple evidence that Cohen regretted creating BitTorrent.
He has continued working on decentralized technologies long after leaving the company.
In fact, his move into blockchain suggests that he remained interested in the broader idea of decentralized computing.
However, the association between BitTorrent and piracy created a complicated legacy for its creator.
The BitTorrent Legacy
More than two decades after its creation, BitTorrent remains relevant.
The technology changed the way people thought about distributing large files.
It also influenced the broader development of peer-to-peer systems and decentralized networks.
BitTorrent Was Bigger Than Torrent Websites
When people hear “torrent,” they often think about torrent websites.
But the underlying technology is much bigger.
BitTorrent is a protocol that can be used by different software applications to communicate and exchange pieces of data.
That’s why the technology survived even when individual torrent websites disappeared.
What Happened to the Original BitTorrent Client?
The original BitTorrent software continued to evolve.
The BitTorrent brand and technology eventually became part of a larger ecosystem that also included µTorrent.
The company behind the products has continued developing torrent clients and decentralized technologies.
BitTorrent’s official website describes the protocol as a decentralized peer-to-peer system designed for distributing large files and data over the internet.
Was Bram Cohen the Founder of “Torrents”?
Technically, saying “founder of torrents” isn’t quite correct.
There isn’t one company or website called “Torrents” that Cohen founded.
A more accurate description is:
Bram Cohen is the inventor of the BitTorrent protocol and the founder of BitTorrent, Inc.
This distinction is important because many different torrent websites and applications exist, while BitTorrent is the underlying protocol.
What Is Bram Cohen’s Biggest Achievement?
Bram Cohen’s biggest achievement may not be the BitTorrent company itself.
It is the creation of a technology that became a fundamental part of internet infrastructure.
BitTorrent demonstrated that ordinary users’ computers could collectively help distribute huge amounts of data.
That idea was revolutionary at the time.
From BitTorrent to Chia
Cohen’s career is particularly interesting because his two major projects follow a similar philosophical direction.
BitTorrent
Goal: Efficient peer-to-peer data distribution.
Chia
Goal: Build decentralized blockchain infrastructure using Proof of Space and Time.
The technologies are completely different, but both involve decentralized systems that reduce dependence on traditional centralized infrastructure.
Final Thoughts
So, what happened to the founder of torrents?
Bram Cohen didn’t disappear, get arrested, or simply retire after creating BitTorrent.
He created the BitTorrent protocol in 2001, helped build BitTorrent, Inc. in 2004, and eventually left the company in 2017.
After leaving BitTorrent, he founded Chia Network, where he continues working on decentralized technology.
The BitTorrent company later changed hands and was acquired by TRON in 2018, while the BitTorrent protocol itself continued to live on.
Perhaps the most surprising part of the story is that Cohen created a technology that became strongly associated with online piracy even though the technology itself is simply a method of distributing data.
Today, his legacy is much bigger than torrent websites. BitTorrent helped prove that millions of computers could collectively become part of a massive decentralized data-distribution network.
And more than two decades later, its creator is still working on decentralized technology.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who invented torrents?
The BitTorrent protocol was invented by Bram Cohen in 2001. It is more accurate to say that he invented BitTorrent rather than saying he invented “torrents.”
Who is the founder of BitTorrent?
Bram Cohen founded BitTorrent, Inc. with Ashwin Navin in 2004. Cohen was the inventor of the underlying BitTorrent protocol.
What happened to Bram Cohen?
Bram Cohen left BitTorrent in August 2017 and went on to found Chia Network, a blockchain company. He currently serves as Chia’s Chairman of the Board, Founder and CTO.
Did Bram Cohen get arrested?
No. Bram Cohen was not arrested simply for creating BitTorrent. BitTorrent is a general-purpose peer-to-peer protocol that can be used for both legal and unauthorized file distribution.
Did Bram Cohen create The Pirate Bay?
No. The Pirate Bay is a separate torrent-indexing website. Bram Cohen created the BitTorrent protocol that many torrent websites and applications use.
Did Bram Cohen create µTorrent?
No. µTorrent was created separately and later became part of the BitTorrent ecosystem.
Who owns BitTorrent now?
BitTorrent was acquired by TRON, founded by Justin Sun, in 2018. Cohen had already left BitTorrent the previous year.
What is Bram Cohen doing now?
Cohen is working with Chia Network, where he is listed as Chairman of the Board, Founder and Chief Technology Officer.
Is BitTorrent still used?
Yes. BitTorrent remains an active peer-to-peer protocol and continues to be used for distributing large amounts of data. BitTorrent’s own website describes the protocol as a major decentralized data-distribution technology.
Was BitTorrent created for piracy?
No. Bram Cohen created BitTorrent as a peer-to-peer file-distribution protocol. Although piracy became one of its most famous uses, the technology itself can also be used for legitimate distribution of software, data and other content.
Why did BitTorrent become associated with piracy?
Torrent websites made it easy for users to find and exchange torrent information for copyrighted movies, music, games and software. This made BitTorrent strongly associated with piracy even though the underlying protocol has legitimate uses.
