# René Pickhardt

> German programmer

**Wikidata**: [Q40795591](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q40795591)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/rene-pickhardt

## Summary
René Pickhardt is a German programmer and software engineer recognized for his contributions to the Lightning Network field. In addition to his technical work, he is a former candidate for the Pirate Party in the 2017 German federal election.

## Biography
*   **Born:** 1985
*   **Nationality:** German
*   **Known for:** Software engineering, Lightning Network research, political candidacy
*   **Field(s):** Lightning Network, Software Engineering
*   **Occupation:** Programmer, Software Engineer, Politician

## Contributions
René Pickhardt has established a presence in the technology sector primarily as a programmer and software engineer with a specific focus on the Lightning Network. His professional identity is documented across academic and knowledge platforms, including Semantic Scholar and the German National Library (GND).

Beyond software development, Pickhardt has made contributions to public discourse and civic engagement. He maintains an active digital footprint through his website and a YouTube channel launched in March 2011. The channel serves as a platform for technical and possibly political content, having accumulated over 141,000 total views and 51 videos as of August 2024.

In the political sphere, Pickhardt actively participated in the German democratic process. He stood as a candidate for the Pirate Party in the 2017 German federal election, running to represent the Mainz electoral district. This candidacy highlights a combination of technical expertise and political advocacy typical of the Pirate Party's platform on digital rights and information transparency.

## FAQs

### Q: What is René Pickhardt's primary field of work?
A: René Pickhardt works as a programmer and software engineer, with a specialized professional focus on the Lightning Network.

### Q: Has René Pickhardt run for political office?
A: Yes, he was a candidate in the 2017 German federal election. He ran for the Pirate Party in the Mainz electoral district.

### Q: What online platforms is René Pickhardt active on?
A: He is active on YouTube (channel started in 2011), Twitter (username @renepickhardt), and contributes to the Wikimedia movement under the username "Renepick."

## Why They Matter
René Pickhardt represents a modern intersection of technical expertise and civic engagement. His significance lies in his dual role as a technologist and a political participant. By contributing to the field of the Lightning Network—a critical area in blockchain and cryptocurrency scalability—he positions himself at the forefront of fintech innovation.

Simultaneously, his candidacy for the Pirate Party in 2017 demonstrates a commitment to influencing policy, particularly regarding issues likely related to technology and open information. His consistent online presence over more than a decade, evidenced by his YouTube channel and social media following, suggests he plays a role in educating or engaging a community on these technical and political topics.

## Notable For
*   **Lightning Network Expertise:** Formally classified as working in the Lightning Network field (Q131723).
*   **Political Candidacy:** Ran for the German federal election in 2017 representing the Pirate Party in Mainz.
*   **Digital Content Creation:** Operates a YouTube channel with over 6,000 subscribers and 141,000 views.
*   **Open Knowledge Contribution:** Active contributor with identifiers in Wikidata, GND, VIAF, and Semantic Scholar.

## Body

### Personal Background
René Pickhardt was born in 1985 and identifies as male. He is a German national with the family name Pickhardt.

### Professional Career
Pickhardt is employed as a programmer and software engineer. His specific area of professional focus is the Lightning Network (Wikidata ID: Q131723). His work is recognized in academic and knowledge contexts, evidenced by a Semantic Scholar Author ID (2776401) and a Google Knowledge Graph ID. He maintains a personal website in English at https://www.rene-pickhardt.de/.

### Political Career
In 2017, Pickhardt entered the political arena as a candidate in the German federal election.
*   **Election:** 2017 German federal election
*   **Party:** Pirate Party
*   **District:** Mainz (electoral district)
*   **Occupation listed:** Politician (during candidacy)

### Digital Presence and Media
Pickhardt has maintained a significant online footprint since the early 2010s.
*   **YouTube:** His channel (ID: UCWmagvXbbOAS29CcLRP0FWg) was created on March 13, 2011. As of August 18, 2024, it hosts 51 videos with 6,130 subscribers and 141,648 total views.
*   **Twitter:** Operating under the handle @renepickhardt since January 1, 2011, he had 29,796 followers as of October 23, 2023.
*   **Wikimedia:** He contributes under the username "Renepick."
*   **Stack Exchange:** His user ID is 1639876.

### Authority Control
Pickhardt is indexed in several major library and knowledge systems:
*   **GND (German National Library) ID:** 1280958863
*   **VIAF ID:** 21167561704098490841
*   **Yale LUX ID:** person/cefea748-3921-4a7d-84b4-12be9b874996

## References

1. Integrated Authority File
2. YouTube API