Brian Armstrong became one of the richest people in the world after Coinbase Global Inc. Became known on Wednesday.
Coinbase, which in 2012 with Mr. Founded, Armstrong manages the largest bitcoin exchange in the United States and was the first major cryptocurrency-focused company to become known in the country. In the early trading, it achieved a valuation of more than $ 100 billion, representing the 20% stake of Mr. Armstrong would make about $ 20 billion. It puts the 38-year-old CEO among the 100 richest people in the world, based on the list of Forbes billionaires.
But Mr. Armstrong remains largely unknown outside crypto circles and is an enigma within them. He is not the typical, staunch founder or crypto-evangelist of Silicon Valley. He rarely speaks in the press and attends few conferences. His Twitter account is extraordinarily quiet by the standard of the platform.
A number of people who have worked with him have driven him to a firm focus on bringing bitcoin to the masses.
Mr. Armstrong was an early enthusiast of Introduced in 2008 by the pseudonym Satoshi Nakamoto. Bitcoin is designed as a digital version of cash.