Silvio Micali is an Italian-American computer scientist known for his significant contributions to the fields of cryptography and computer security. He is a professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and has co-founded several companies focused on blockchain technology and cybersecurity. Micali is particularly recognized for his work on zero-knowledge proofs, a method that allows one party to prove to another that a statement is true without revealing any information beyond the validity of the statement itself. His research has had a profound impact on the development of secure communication protocols and digital currencies, influencing the broader field of cryptography.