Peterborough Linux User Group (Canada) Forum

General (non-Linux) => General Discussion => Topic started by: ssfc72 on February 09, 2019, 07:48:03 AM

Title: Bitcoin - Canadian Cryptocurrency founder Gerald Cotten, age 30, dies
Post by: ssfc72 on February 09, 2019, 07:48:03 AM
https://business.financialpost.com/technology/blockchain/how-gerald-cotten-built-quadriga-and-created-the-ensuing-crypto-storm

A very interesting article about how his business, Quadriga was started and is now in Bankruptcy, owing 260 million dollars.

The 92,000 Client's money/cryptocurrency is apparently locked in a password protected notebook computer and USB key, which no one but Cotten knew the password.
Title: Re: Bitcoin - Canadian Cryptocurrency founder Gerald Cotten, age 30, dies
Post by: Jason on February 13, 2019, 10:04:41 AM
Fascinating story. Wired had an article on it, too. It was pretty much a one-man operation in terms of how the transactions were handed and was strange even for cryptocurrency. This quote from the Wired article is enlightening and most amusing, or at least I thought so.

“It’s astounding to me that a company of this size can be run with the same accounting procedures of Joe’s Fish ‘n Chips, with a single person in charge and no accountability,” says Emin Gun Sirer, a blockchain adviser and professor of computer science at Cornell University. “That’s far from the norm. It’s not a good look for our industry.”

And there's an awesome tweet here that speaks volumes. Regardless, if the investors didn't at least *try* to get their money out when the entire board or directors resigned in 2018, I don't have any sympathy for them.