Bitcoin billionaire Mircea Popescu, who's thought to have owned $1 billion (roughly Rs. 7,428 crore) worth of the world's biggest cryptocurrency, has reportedly died in Costa Rica. The 41-year-old, also referred to as a Bitcoin evangelist by many, leaves a controversial legacy behind. “I like Bitcoin because I like freedom. Simple as that,” he had once said. Popescu also maintained a blog, which, many say, was a repository of racist, sexist content that was “not safe for work”. He's also known for starting MPEx, a Bitcoin securities exchange, in 2012.
Pete Rizzo, theeditor of Bitcoin Magazine wrote a thread on Twitter curating some of Popescu's quotes about Bitcoin. Rizzo's thread starts with a post, “RIP Mircea Popescu (1980 – 2021)”. He then goes on to add, “Called ‘The Father of Bitcoin Toxicity' by some, Mircea will endure as one of #Bitcoin's most vilified figures and inarguably one of its greatest philosophers.”
Although the Bitcoin held by Popescu will see their value change, if the billionaire had not made arrangements for others to get access to his wallets, those tokens would end up being lost. Given the huge number of tokens that Popescu held, this could have an impact on the price of Bitcoin.
RIP Mircea Popescu (1980 – 2021)
Called "The Father of Bitcoin Toxicity" by some, Mircea will endure as one of #Bitcoin's most vilified figures and inarguably one of its greatest philosophers.
In memory, a collection of my favorite MP quotes below. pic.twitter.com/KMoIfKGeSk
According to a Spanish-language publication, Teletica.com, Popescu died off the coast of Costa Rica, when he entered the sea to swim and was swept away by the current on June 23. The publication reported that a “41-year-old foreigner” had drowned in Playa Hermosa de Garabito, Puntarenas.
In another post by Rizzo, he wrote about Popescu's controversial nature. Rizzo shared the link of a website where Popescu “blogged quite regularly” but “warned” users that “while it includes many gems of brilliance, there's a lot of racist and sexist content”.
He blogged quite regularly here: https://t.co/QtUY8FwywU
Be warned, much of it is NSFW. While it includes many gems of brilliance, there's a lot of racist and sexist content (as well as a lot of naked pictures).
The blog is inaccessible in India, in all likelihoodbecause of the nature of the content posted there.
In another tweet, Rizzo wrote that Popescu “inarguably demonstrated (and celebrated) behaviours that were bigoted, racist and that endangered human life", including those of key Bitcoin contributors. "There was good and there was bad," he wrote about the 41-year-old controversial figure.
*Also I was remiss not to add:
MP inarguably demonstrated (and celebrated) behaviors that were bigoted, rascist and that endangered human life, including those of key Bitcoin contributors.
There was good and there was bad.
"Bitcoin is not here for you to opine about it. Bitcoin is here to profoundly and oft times painfully change your life. Whether you agree or not, whether you give permission or not, whether you think it "acceptable" or "called for" or whatever else. Nobody asked you."
— RIZZO (@pete_rizzo_) June 27, 2021
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FAQs
Romanian bitcoin billionaire and crypto exchange founder, Micrea Popescu, died suddenly, aged 41, leaving behind more than 1bn Bitcoin tokens. It is understood that he was behind the drive to keep Bitcoin from changing block size from 1MB to 2MB.
Who are the 4 crypto billionaires dead? ›
Crypto Billionaires Dead: Matthew Mellon, Fernando Pérez Algaba, Nikolai Mushegian Among Mysterious Deaths | CCN.com.
Which Bitcoin billionaire drowned? ›
Last June, Mircea Popescu, a controversial Bitcoin billionaire, drowned in Costa Rica.
Who died in the biggest Bitcoin holder? ›
JAKARTA – The owner of the most Bitcoin cryptocurrency named Mircea Popescu is reported to have died. His body was found drowned off the coast of Costa Rica on June 23, 2021.
Who is the secret owner of Bitcoin? ›
Bitcoin was created by an anonymous person or group using the pseudonym Satoshi Nakamoto. Nakamoto published a whitepaper titled "Bitcoin: A Peer-to-Peer Electronic Cash System," outlining the concept of a decentralized digital currency. 1 The true identity of Satoshi Nakamoto remains unknown to this day.
How much Bitcoin did that guy lose? ›
James Howells, a bitcoin enthusiast who lost 8000 bitcoin (BTC) in a South Wales landfill, is preparing to sue the local city government for impeding his efforts to locate the missing hard drive from 2013.
Why are Bitcoin billionaires dying? ›
Some people go the pragmatic route and believe that they were simply taken out by jealous competitors or “fans” who watched these people flaunt their wealth online. Some, however, believe that at least a few of these deaths were the work of secret services or organized crime groups.
Who is the crypto guy that went broke? ›
Fallen 'Crypto King' Sam Bankman-Fried gets 25 years for fraud. Sam Bankman-Fried, co-founder of the failed crypto exchange FTX, has been sentenced to 25 years in prison for defrauding customers and investors of his now-bankrupt firm.
Who has lost the most money on crypto? ›
| Characteristic | Net worth loss in billion U.S. dollars |
|---|
| Changpeng Zhao (Binance) | 82 |
| Sam Bankman-Fried (FTX) | 23 |
| Brian Armstrong (Coinbase) | 4.7 |
| Gary Wang (FTX) | 1.7 |
1 more rowNov 27, 2023
Sam Bankman-Fried, the jailed founder of bankrupt cryptocurrency exchange FTX, is sworn in as he appears in court for the first time since his November fraud conviction, at a courthouse in New York, U.S., February 21, 2024 in this courtroom sketch.
The price of Bitcoin is volatile, ranging from under $10 in 2010 to a high of $75,830 in March 2024. Most top Bitcoin billionaires became rich by creating products and services to grow the cryptocurrency ecosystem. This overall price increase has also created millions for people who bought and held their bitcoins.
Who owns 90% of Bitcoin? ›
As of March 2023, the top 1% of Bitcoin addresses hold over 90% of the total Bitcoin supply, according to Bitinfocharts.
How many people own 1 Bitcoin? ›
How many people own 1 full Bitcoin? According to the blockchain analysis platform BitInfoCharts, more than 1 million wallet addresses hold at least 1 BTC.
What happened with the Bitcoin guy? ›
Prosecutors accused Bankman-Fried, once the poster boy for virtual currencies, of stealing about $10bn, using customers' funds to make risky investments, buy property and fund political campaigns. The crypto entrepreneur, 31, now faces up to 110 years behind bars.
What happened with the Bitcoin scandal? ›
The bad-apple case for optimism
Sam Bankman-Fried, left, was convicted on seven counts of fraud in early November. Two weeks later, Binance founder Changpeng Zhao pleaded guilty to money-laundering charges in a settlement with US authorities.
What Bitcoin company went broke? ›
The bankruptcy of FTX, a Bahamas-based cryptocurrency exchange, began in November 2022. The collapse of FTX, caused by a spike in customer withdrawals that exposed an $8 billion hole in FTX's accounts, served as the impetus for its bankruptcy.
What happened to Leonard's Bitcoin? ›
Leonard is moved by this revelation. The Bitcoin is not found on the laptop. Sheldon explains he had moved it to a flash drive on Leonard's keychain to teach the guys a lesson, but Leonard reveals that he lost the keychain years ago, leaving Sheldon embarrassed at his error.
