Skip to main content

South African to head up global Bitcoin Foundation

Cape Town based venture capitalist Llew Claasen has been appointed as executive director of the global Bitcoin Foundation.
The Bitcoin Foundation, which was founded in 2012, aims to promote the use of the cryptocurrency.
Claasen - who is described as a technology startup “go-to-market strategist” - joins another South African, board member Vinny Lingham, as part of the Bitcoin Foundation.
Both Claasen and Lingham are partners of local investment firm Newtown Partners. But in a press statement, Lingham said he recused himself from the board vote owing to his “long business relationship and friendship with Claasen”.
Nevertheless, the board still voted in Claasen who replaces outgoing Bitcoin Foundation executive director Bruce Fenton.
Claasen’s appointment as executive director is effective from July 1.
“Broadly speaking, we're the oldest and largest Bitcoin advocacy group globally,” Claasen told Fin24.
“I'll be working with our Board, the developers, customers and other ecosystem players over the next few weeks to put together a plan that enables us to increase the adoption of Bitcoin worldwide,” Claasen added.
Vinny Lingham - who shot to Silicon Valley fame in the US when he sold his virtual gift card service Gyft to First Data for over $50m in 2014 - has also commented on Claasen’s appointment.
Lingham now heads up US-based identity protection startup Civic.
“I’ve known Llew for many years and have worked with him in several capacities,” said Lingham in a statement.  
“I think he will be a perfect fit for the organisation as we build on the significant progress we have made,” Lingham added.
Meanwhile, Claasen’s appointment at the Bitcoin Foundation comes amid the cryptocurrency coming under particular focus in the last few weeks over its surging price.
Over the last month, the price of Bitcoin on South African linked exchange BitX has increased almost 40% from R7 496 on May 22 to R11 169 on June 21 amid weaknesses in China’s Yuan and an impending halving event for miners of the currency.
But the cryptocurrency has started to experience a downward turn this week as on Tuesday, the price of a Bitcoin on BitX had fallen around 14%.
Link:http://www.fin24.com/Tech/News/south-african-to-head-up-global-bitcoin-foundation-20160621

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Case-By-Case or Cease-and-Desist? In Search Of a New Approach to ICOs

That rumble you hear is the sound of regulators around the world mobilizing resources to tackle the pressing matter of token sales. Yet, in spite of the spectacular growth of blockchain token-based funding, no one seems to have a clear idea of what type of rules to introduce. The resulting uncertainty (not to mention ridicule) is left hindering progress as money flows to unviable projects and investors are left vulnerable to foul play – exactly what regulation is supposed to prevent. Perhaps a new approach is needed. But to see where this could go, it's worth stepping back and asking what we expect the regulation to do. Safety belt First, why do we need regulation, not just of finance, but of anything at all? To protect us. At its roots, that is the main role of government – to protect its citizens from avoidable harm and extreme loss brought about by others or from our own lack of common sense. When it comes to securities, that usually means stopping us from making poor decisions…
Post a Comment
Read more

Duncan Logan just tweeted that he's on board Electroneum

I have been a buyer and holder of bitcoin and Etherreum for a long time but this will be the first ICO I buy into--Duncan Logan.

What is Electroneum?

Electroneum (ETN) is a cryptocurrency that can be mined with a smartphone, requiring almost no technical knowledge or prior experience. This sets it apart from other cryptocurrencies (like Bitcoin) which require expensive hardware and technical know-how to mine.
Electroneum’s unique mobile mining experience allows anyone with a smartphone to earn ETN coins by letting the miner app run in the background.
It was designed specifically with mobile users in mind, thereby appealing to a potential market of 2.2 billion smartphone users around the world. Unlike other cryptocurrencies, Electroneum has a user-friendly, beginner-oriented interface that allows users to seamlessly transfer ETN coins between one another, check their balances, and mine coins.
Being a cryptocurrency, Electroneum is created, held, and spent electronically, and has no phy…
Post a Comment
Read more

Inglourious Basterds Script - Dialogue Transcript

oila! Finally, the Inglourious Basterds script is here for all you fans of the Quentin Tarantino movie. This puppy is a transcript that was painstakingly transcribed using the screenplay and/or viewings of the movie to get the dialogue.

Inglourious Basterds Script(DISTANT RUMBLING) (SPEAKING FRENCH) (MEN SPEAKING GERMAN) (SPEAKING FRENCH) While I'm very familiar with you and your family, I have no way of knowing if you are familiar with who I am. Are you aware of my existence? Yes. This is good. Now, are you aware of the job I've been ordered to carry out in France? Yes. Please tell me what you've heard. I've heard that the Führer has put you in charge of rounding up the Jews left in France who are either hiding or passing for Gentile. The Führer couldn't have said it better himself. But the meaning of your visit, pleasant though it is, is mysterious to me. The Germans looked through my house…
Post a Comment
Read more