Original author: Nermin Hajdarbegovic
Coin News
Original author: Stan Higgins
Adam Draper is the founder and CEO of Boost VC, a California-based startup accelerator that focuses on bitcoin related companies. Draper sat down with CoinDesk last week at Inside Bitcoins NYC to discuss the evolution of Boost VC, his interests in bitcoin, and his role in the digital currency industry.
It’s a bold statement to make: Back in March, Adam Draper told CoinDesk that Boost VC planned to accelerate 100 bitcoin companies in the next three years.While there’s certainly no shortage of entrepreneurs looking to enter the digital currency space, Draper’s commitment to focus on bitcoin startups with his 18-month-old accelerator carries with it a particular level of risk. The industry is still in its early development phase, and the uncertainty surrounding future regulation could have far-reaching impacts for companies built on the Bitcoin protocol.Nonetheless, it’s a risk that Draper is willing to take.Learning from the bestDraper is a fourth-generation venture capitalist who grew up watching his grandfather and father navigate careers in the industry.Technology, of course, moves very fast. Though Draper’s father Tim Draper was a pioneering venture capitalist during the early years of the Internet, Draper said that the startup climate is much different today than when his father and grandfather started their careers:“It’s crazy how much things have changed in such a short amount of time. If you want to start a business today, all you need is $80, a bank account and some code.”Draper noted that his father’s venture capital firm DFJ was the first firm to “only back Internet companies”, and that this set an example for him to take risks. Now, Boost VC is betting big on bitcoin.Growing up fastDraper founded Boost VC in late 2012 and the company has accelerated more than 40 startups over the course of three sessions, including companies like Gliph, BitWall and Coincove, to name a few.The first session of Boost attracted roughly 70 applicants, Draper said. This number grew larger for the second session, and by the third session upwards of 500 startups applied for a spot in the accelerator program.Said Draper:“When we announced our plans to accelerate 100 bitcoin companies, there was a huge response from the community. It showed us just how much interest people have in this space, and also how disruptive this technology really is.”Similar to other accelerators, participants in Boost VC’s program receive an investment in exchange for equity in the company. Boost also provides a network of mentors for its startups and housing in downtown San Mateo, California.Draper said that he was surprised at how valuable the live-in situation has been for participants in the accelerator. He cited the close proximity in which the startups work as a benefit of the program. Many of the startups bounce ideas off each other and provide valuable feedback to their peers as they progress in the accelerator.An ambassador for bitcoinWith Boost’s commitment to accelerating 100 bitcoin startups, Draper undeniably has a lot of skin in the game. Bitcoin solves many problems that are inherent to today’s global economy, Draper said, and he has been most surprised by how quickly bitcoin’s popularity has grown and how resilient the technology has been over the past couple of years.When asked by CoinDesk where he sees himself fitting into the digital currency industry, Draper explained that he’s aware of the influence that he and his team at Boost have:“I do feel like an ambassador for the community, in a way. I’ve never been so public about supporting something as I have been with bitcoin, and I’m grateful to be able to help grow the industry.”While Draper’s peers in venture capital may think Boost’s devotion to bitcoin is “crazy”, he wouldn’t have it any other way:“My job wouldn’t be possible without all of the crazy and talented entrepreneurs who are putting all of their hard work into developing new products and services around bitcoin’s technology.”Adam Draper image via Boost.VCAdam DraperBoost VC
It’s a bold statement to make: Back in March, Adam Draper told CoinDesk that Boost VC planned to accelerate 100 bitcoin companies in the next three years.While there’s certainly no shortage of entrepreneurs looking to enter the digital currency space, Draper’s commitment to focus on bitcoin startups with his 18-month-old accelerator carries with it a particular level of risk. The industry is still in its early development phase, and the uncertainty surrounding future regulation could have far-reaching impacts for companies built on the Bitcoin protocol.Nonetheless, it’s a risk that Draper is willing to take.Learning from the bestDraper is a fourth-generation venture capitalist who grew up watching his grandfather and father navigate careers in the industry.Technology, of course, moves very fast. Though Draper’s father Tim Draper was a pioneering venture capitalist during the early years of the Internet, Draper said that the startup climate is much different today than when his father and grandfather started their careers:“It’s crazy how much things have changed in such a short amount of time. If you want to start a business today, all you need is $80, a bank account and some code.”Draper noted that his father’s venture capital firm DFJ was the first firm to “only back Internet companies”, and that this set an example for him to take risks. Now, Boost VC is betting big on bitcoin.Growing up fastDraper founded Boost VC in late 2012 and the company has accelerated more than 40 startups over the course of three sessions, including companies like Gliph, BitWall and Coincove, to name a few.The first session of Boost attracted roughly 70 applicants, Draper said. This number grew larger for the second session, and by the third session upwards of 500 startups applied for a spot in the accelerator program.Said Draper:“When we announced our plans to accelerate 100 bitcoin companies, there was a huge response from the community. It showed us just how much interest people have in this space, and also how disruptive this technology really is.”Similar to other accelerators, participants in Boost VC’s program receive an investment in exchange for equity in the company. Boost also provides a network of mentors for its startups and housing in downtown San Mateo, California.Draper said that he was surprised at how valuable the live-in situation has been for participants in the accelerator. He cited the close proximity in which the startups work as a benefit of the program. Many of the startups bounce ideas off each other and provide valuable feedback to their peers as they progress in the accelerator.An ambassador for bitcoinWith Boost’s commitment to accelerating 100 bitcoin startups, Draper undeniably has a lot of skin in the game. Bitcoin solves many problems that are inherent to today’s global economy, Draper said, and he has been most surprised by how quickly bitcoin’s popularity has grown and how resilient the technology has been over the past couple of years.When asked by CoinDesk where he sees himself fitting into the digital currency industry, Draper explained that he’s aware of the influence that he and his team at Boost have:“I do feel like an ambassador for the community, in a way. I’ve never been so public about supporting something as I have been with bitcoin, and I’m grateful to be able to help grow the industry.”While Draper’s peers in venture capital may think Boost’s devotion to bitcoin is “crazy”, he wouldn’t have it any other way:“My job wouldn’t be possible without all of the crazy and talented entrepreneurs who are putting all of their hard work into developing new products and services around bitcoin’s technology.”Adam Draper image via Boost.VCAdam DraperBoost VCOriginal author: Tom Sharkey
Room 77 in Berlin – now celebrating three years of accepting bitcoin.Accepting bitcoin in those days was not a business decision. Of course there were the advantages of low transaction fees and not having to handle cash but in the end, it was very much an ideological decision, Platzer said. He looked for a way to decrease the power of the banks, and given the small scale of his bar, he thought he’d found a way in bitcoin.“In my opinion our society has a huge problem and that is called banks and central banks – and we need to overcome those structures … We are now looking at a future where no one will have to use banks anymore and that means that we can let a bank fail.”Ideologues vs EntrepreneursBut over the last year a new type of bitcoin enthusiast has entered Platzer’s bitcoin world. A typical bitcoin user is now as likely to wear a smart suit and work in an office as he is to wear a hoodie and argue for the end of capitalism. The bitcoin entrepreneurs have arrived and Platzer isn’t all that happy about it.People became attracted to bitcoin because it offers a free or low-fee transaction and a lack of regulation, but now, he said, some are arguing for more regulation as a way to legitimize the currency in the eyes of financial institutions and governments. Said Platzer:“I look at these entrepreneurs and say, ‘You want something regulated?’ You have something regulated. It is called money – just use that.”Platzer is certain his side will win the fight over regulation. There is no way to regulate bitcoin, he contended, as it goes against the coding. But more importantly, if the regulation side succeeds, people could just move to the next altcoin. “The genie is out of the bottle,” he said, “there is no going back anymore.”As the history of bitcoin continues to be play out across the world Platzer sits back in his own bitcoin kingdom smiling. He said:“Bitcoin is still an experiment … That’s why I think it is funny that people demand stability. You can’t demand things from an experiment. Just go and pay with your MasterCard if you want stability.”Photos by Jona KallgrenbanksBerlinHistoryregulationRoom 77Original author: Jona Kallgren
The mega yacht is currently being furnished with brand new equipment at the shipyard.If this is slightly out of your budget, you can always rent a yacht with your bitcoin from luxury yacht service The Advantaged Yacht Charter and Sales in Miami Beach.The company has 26 boats ranging from $1,200 to $18,000. They officially started accepting bitcoin in October 2013, but their first bitcoin booking came this February.The mega yacht’s asking price may sound like it is going to have a hard time selling, but BitPremier has successfully sold many other high-value items in the past.This includes a $500,000 villa in Bali which found a buyer back in March. The 3,000-square-foot villa at the delMango Villa Estate was the site’s most expensive item, until now.Other items currently listed on the site include Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show tickets priced at $19,600 (40.087 BTC), a sub orbital space travel trip for $100,000 (204.96 BTC), and a 3.01 carat natural diamond for $260,000 (526.316 BTC).BitPremier was founded in May 2013 by Alan Silbert, the brother of SecondMarket CEO Barry Silbert.Images courtesy of BitPremier bitpremierlifestyleluxuryyachtOriginal author: Roop Gill
Original author: Jon Southurst
The company passed the 500,000 mark back in October 2013.Blockchain.info is the world’s most popular bitcoin website, which is no small feat. Additionally, the company is expanding beyond wallets to other bitcoin-related services, recently acquiring ZeroBlock LLC, the world’s most popular bitcoin mobile app.Interestingly, the domain’s homepage links to various Blockchain projects, and denotes the bitcoin ‘B’ with the unicode ’Ƀ’ symbol – an alternative to the double-dashed ‘B⃦’.
This has been chosen by a website of industry members (including ZeroBlock and Lamassu) as a way to better legitimize bitcoin as a symbol in print and online.The group argue that having a symbol in the standardised form would better convey the currency to the masses across various forms of media.Bitcoin.comBlockchain.infoOriginal author: Nermin Hajdarbegovic
Original author: Stan Higgins