thx ziggy.s
yes, the whole ecosystem gets more and more professionall (in lightspeed)
Topic: [2014-07-11] Bitcoin taps former Credit Suisse commodities boss Adam Knight (Read 1900 times)
July 12, 2014, 09:05:37 AM
July 11, 2014, 06:07:22 PM
I think this is huge. I've been investigating this exchange since the news came out and everything I find is pretty impressive and consistent. They seem to have a completely different approach.
I think it all ads up: communication with FCA, exploring Bitcoin protocol to increase security, p2sh, cold storage, then provable solvency, UK faster payments and now a commodities heavyweight from GS! What does that tell you? I'm still trying to investigate some issues reported on this forum though. But aside from some suspicious feedback here, it all looks very, very promising.
The exchange itself aside, ex-GS and Credit Suisse MD involved in any bitcoin businnes is great news and I'm glad that it's a UK company as it only reinforces the big bright future of UK being the strongest bitcoin hub. I feel like the community does not fully appreciate the weight of this hire. Either due to choosing to foolishly ignore the financial sector or due to lack of awareness of who Adam Knight is. I mean seriously, CNBC was reporting on his career moves based on undisclosed sources. This guy, being involved in anything bitcoin, can make a noticeable change.
I think it all ads up: communication with FCA, exploring Bitcoin protocol to increase security, p2sh, cold storage, then provable solvency, UK faster payments and now a commodities heavyweight from GS! What does that tell you? I'm still trying to investigate some issues reported on this forum though. But aside from some suspicious feedback here, it all looks very, very promising.
The exchange itself aside, ex-GS and Credit Suisse MD involved in any bitcoin businnes is great news and I'm glad that it's a UK company as it only reinforces the big bright future of UK being the strongest bitcoin hub. I feel like the community does not fully appreciate the weight of this hire. Either due to choosing to foolishly ignore the financial sector or due to lack of awareness of who Adam Knight is. I mean seriously, CNBC was reporting on his career moves based on undisclosed sources. This guy, being involved in anything bitcoin, can make a noticeable change.
July 11, 2014, 05:32:00 PM
Nice to see we're poaching some former bankers. I think this can really help legitimise bitcoin to the banking industry when people like this are getting involved.
July 11, 2014, 05:17:35 PM
Quote
A UK-based bitcoin exchange has tapped the former global head of commodities at Credit Suisse to lead its attempt to promote professional trading of the virtual currency.
Adam Knight, who has been an angel investor in London since leaving Credit Suisse in 2011, has become executive chairman of Coinfloor and taken a stake in the company in a new fundraising round.
“Having spent my career trading commodity markets I understand the exchange, clearing house and storage models well and wanted to find a team with the right skills and approach to build a robust global bitcoin financial services business,” said Mr Knight.
“Bitcoin has survived some pretty significant shocks and proven to be far more robust than I had initially expected.”
A number of entrepreneurs are trying to build a second generation of virtual currency trading platforms, following the bankruptcy in March of the earliest and once largest exchange, Mt Gox.
That collapse, and the apparent loss of millions of dollars worth of the virtual currency, shook confidence among bitcoin users and highlighted the experimental nature of the technology. Bitcoin was created five years ago by an anonymous computer scientist as an alternative to government-controlled currencies.
Coinfloor has said its platform is aimed at professional traders, including high-frequency traders, and aims to overcome institutional scepticism about the safety of bitcoin exchanges by making public the details of its bitcoin holdings.
“Adam’s expertise of regulatory compliance, risk and governance procedures will be invaluable,” said Mark Lamb, Coinfloor’s founder.
Mr Lamb declined to give details of the size of its new fundraising, but said Mr Knight was joined in the round by the company’s existing backers, Passion Capital and Taavet Hinrikus. Passion Capital is an angel investment firm led by Stefan Glaenzer, former chairman of online radio pioneer Last.fm and a founder of auction site Ricardo.de, and Mr Hinrikus was an early employee at Skype.
Coinfloor began registering customers last October and, following technical delays, began trading earlier this year.
Adam Knight, who has been an angel investor in London since leaving Credit Suisse in 2011, has become executive chairman of Coinfloor and taken a stake in the company in a new fundraising round.
“Having spent my career trading commodity markets I understand the exchange, clearing house and storage models well and wanted to find a team with the right skills and approach to build a robust global bitcoin financial services business,” said Mr Knight.
“Bitcoin has survived some pretty significant shocks and proven to be far more robust than I had initially expected.”
A number of entrepreneurs are trying to build a second generation of virtual currency trading platforms, following the bankruptcy in March of the earliest and once largest exchange, Mt Gox.
That collapse, and the apparent loss of millions of dollars worth of the virtual currency, shook confidence among bitcoin users and highlighted the experimental nature of the technology. Bitcoin was created five years ago by an anonymous computer scientist as an alternative to government-controlled currencies.
Coinfloor has said its platform is aimed at professional traders, including high-frequency traders, and aims to overcome institutional scepticism about the safety of bitcoin exchanges by making public the details of its bitcoin holdings.
“Adam’s expertise of regulatory compliance, risk and governance procedures will be invaluable,” said Mark Lamb, Coinfloor’s founder.
Mr Lamb declined to give details of the size of its new fundraising, but said Mr Knight was joined in the round by the company’s existing backers, Passion Capital and Taavet Hinrikus. Passion Capital is an angel investment firm led by Stefan Glaenzer, former chairman of online radio pioneer Last.fm and a founder of auction site Ricardo.de, and Mr Hinrikus was an early employee at Skype.
Coinfloor began registering customers last October and, following technical delays, began trading earlier this year.
https://twitter.com/Coinfloor/status/487616427403145218
July 11, 2014, 05:42:19 AM
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/66f0ab6a-07aa-11e4-8e62-00144feab7de.html
Adam Knight, who has been an angel investor in London since leaving Credit Suisse in 2011, has become executive chairman of Coinfloor and taken a stake in the company in a fresh fundraising round.
Adam Knight, who has been an angel investor in London since leaving Credit Suisse in 2011, has become executive chairman of Coinfloor and taken a stake in the company in a fresh fundraising round.
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