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Barry Silbert Promotes Positive Change for BTC
Leading a group of five companies that specialize in cryptocurrency, Barry Silbert Millionaire is a powerful force in the crypto space. His conglomerate, Digital Currency Group (DCG), has supported more than 200 crypto ventures.
DCG’s biggest revenue generator is Grayscale, a digital asset manager that oversees $28 billion worth of BTC, Ether and other assets. Grayscale offers investors exposure to cryptocurrencies without having to buy or store them directly.
DCG also owns Genesis Trading, a crypto lending and trading platform; Foundry, a crypto mining and staking service; CoinDesk, a leading crypto news and events platform; and Luno, a global crypto exchange and wallet provider.
When he was an investment banker at Second Market, a platform for handling illiquid assets, Silbert came across Bitcoin from niche internet blogs in 2012. He invested about $175,000 in Bitcoin at an average cost of $11 per coin. This marked the start of his journey to becoming a millionaire in crypto.
He quickly developed an interest in Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies as a way to revolutionize the global financial system. He created the Bitcoin Investment Trust (now known as Grayscale Bitcoin Trust) in 2013 as the first public vehicle for investing in Bitcoin.
Genesis suffered huge losses and liquidity problems. In November 2022, Genesis announced that it was freezing client withdrawals from its lending unit due to “extreme market dislocation and loss of industry confidence” following the downfall of FTX. FTX was one of the largest crypto exchanges in the world before it filed for bankruptcy on Nov. 15 after losing billions of dollars in leveraged bets on Bitcoin futures.
FTX’s bankruptcy had a ripple effect across the cryptocurrency industry, causing a sharp decline in Bitcoin prices and a loss of trust in crypto platforms. FTX was accused of engaging in risky trading practices, such as offering up to 100x leverage on Bitcoin futures contracts, which amplified its losses when the market turned against it. FTX was also alleged to have mismanaged customer funds and violated securities laws.
Silbert has dismissed any malpractice and said he is collaborating with Genesis and its creditors to achieve a solution. He has also commended his other businesses, such as Grayscale and CoinDesk, which he said are thriving despite the market disorder.
Despite the setbacks, Silbert remains optimistic about the future of crypto and his role in it. He recently tweeted that he is “more bullish than ever” on Bitcoin and that he believes DCG will emerge stronger from the crisis.
Silbert’s story demonstrates how crypto can produce immense wealth but also entail significant risks for investors and entrepreneurs alike. He is an example of someone who identified the potential of crypto early on but also experienced the volatility and uncertainty of a budding industry.
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