Gavin Wood
Gavin Wood is the computer scientist who co-founded Ethereum, coined the word Web3 and created Polkadot. Gavun Wud is our tribute to that vision: a parody character, a meme coin and a community that believes the future he described is worth building. We are fans, not affiliates.
UpdatedWho is Gavin Wood?
Gavin James Wood was born in Lancaster, England, in 1980, and studied at the University of York, where he earned a master's degree and a PhD. He became one of the most important builders in the history of blockchain.
| Ethereum | Co-founder and first CTO. He wrote the first working version of the platform, authored the Yellow Paper, the first formal specification of a blockchain, and proposed Solidity, the language most smart contracts are written in. |
| Web3 | In 2014 he coined the term Web3: an internet where people hold their own data and value, and trust comes from open code instead of middlemen. |
| Parity Technologies | After leaving Ethereum in 2016 he built Parity, the company behind core infrastructure for Ethereum and later Polkadot. |
| Polkadot and Kusama | He designed Polkadot, a network of blockchains that share security and talk to each other, and Kusama, its experimental sister network. |
| Web3 Foundation | He founded the Web3 Foundation to fund and steward the technology behind a decentralised web. |
| JAM | In 2024 he published the Gray Paper for JAM, the Join-Accumulate Machine, a redesign that turns Polkadot into a decentralised supercomputer. |
For the full story, read the Gavin Wood chapter in our wiki.
Why we built a tribute
Web3 can feel intimidating. New people get lost in jargon, and too many of them get burned by projects that were never meant to last. We wanted a friendlier front door to the technology Gavin Wood spent his career building, and a character people could smile at while they learned.
So the community created Gavun Wud. He is curious, stubborn, a little strange and always building, the archetype of the developer who changes things by shipping instead of talking. Through him, newcomers play games, collect NFTs, read the news and make their first swap on Polkadot, all in one place.
The idea we admire most is simple: less trust, more truth. Systems that do not ask you to trust anyone, because you can verify everything yourself. That is why $WUD's admin keys are burned, why every burn is public on the Burner Board, and why the reserve behind $WUD on Base can be checked live by anyone.
Parody, not affiliation
Gavun Wud is a parody character and fan tribute. The project is not affiliated with, endorsed by or connected to Gavin Wood, Parity Technologies or the Web3 Foundation. The name is a playful nod, and the character does not represent any real person. We simply believe in the vision, and we build in its spirit.
Questions people ask
Who is Gavin Wood?
Gavin Wood is an English computer scientist who co-founded Ethereum and served as its first CTO, coined the term Web3 in 2014, founded Parity Technologies and the Web3 Foundation, and created Polkadot and Kusama.
Did Gavin Wood create Polkadot?
Yes. Gavin Wood designed Polkadot, a network of blockchains that share security and communicate with each other. In 2024 he introduced JAM, the next evolution of Polkadot's core design.
Who coined the term Web3?
Gavin Wood coined the term Web3 in 2014 to describe a decentralised internet where people control their own data and value.
Is Gavun Wud related to Gavin Wood?
No. Gavun Wud is a parody character and community tribute. The $WUD project is not affiliated with Gavin Wood, Parity Technologies or the Web3 Foundation.