Bio
Nicolas Bacca, known online as "BTChip," is a Co-Founder of ZKNox and a Co-Founder and former Chief Technology Officer of Ledger. A hardware security and cryptography expert with deep expertise in smartcard technology and secure elements, Bacca was instrumental in Ledger's technical approach to hardware wallet security — specifically the use of dedicated Secure Element chips to isolate private key material from the rest of a device's software environment.
Bacca's background predates Ledger, including work on the BTChip project — an early hardware Bitcoin signing device — which directly informed the technical approach he brought to Ledger when the company was co-founded in 2014. Ledger's historical materials identify Bacca as CTO alongside CEO Eric Larchevêque and COO Joel Pobeda during the company's critical early years. The broader Ledger founding team comprised eight entrepreneurs.
After departing Ledger, Bacca co-founded ZKNox, a cryptography and security research company focused on zero-knowledge proof systems, secure hardware and permissionless security architectures. As of August 2026, ZKNox's team page identifies him as co-founder. Information last checked: August 2026.
Profile at a glance
- Country
- France
- Status
- Active
