Winklevoss — bitcoin twins
The Winklevoss brothers — the handsome twins who appear in the photos illustrating the articles about millionaires who made money on investments in the block chain are today one of the most recognizable figures in the world of cryptocurrencies. What happened that Harvard students of wealthy rowers became investors and eulogists of Bitcoin’s success?
First of all, it got loud when they started their court battle with Facebook in an attempt to prove that Zuckerberg had stolen their idea. In fact, they came up with the idea of a social networking site that was originally called HarvardConnection (later ConnectU), and in 2004 they took their rights in court. The whole story is told in the 2010 Oscar-nominated film “The Social Network”.
As a result, the twins received multi-million dollar compensation and were ready to invest it. Unfortunately, it was difficult for them to find someone who would like to cooperate with them. By chance, David Azar appeared on their way, who at that time wanted to invest in BitInstant.
Cameron and Tyler, as economists, were keen on the idea of sending money virtually instantaneously and cheaply around the world.
Speaking of the Winklevoss brothers, it is impossible not to mention their sports career. They are both rowers, they started training at the age of 15. In 1999 they won 8th place at the Junior World Championships in Plovdiv. Then, in the Pan-American Games in Rio de Janeiro in 2007, they won gold in eight and silver in four without a helmsman.
At the Olympic Games in Beijing in 2008, they won the 6th place.
However, at the World Championships in Poznań in 2009, they achieved the 13th position.
Soon after, they ended their sports career and undertook a number of investment activities.
In 2012, the twins founded a company that invests in and supports startups from scratch. The company is based in New York and is called Winklevoss Capital Management.
The brothers also own the digital currency exchange — Gemini. It was established in 2014 and is primarily focused on cooperation with institutions. It is the first cryptocurrency exchange to work with NASDAQ. The stock exchange is also closely related to their own Gemini USD token, which is a stablecoin and simulates the value of the US dollar.
What are the Winklevoss twins up to now? They want to tell the story of their investments in the adaptation of Ben Mezrich’s book “Bitcoin Billionaries”. Although the details are not known yet, it is safe to assume that the new film will be as successful as the previous production about the amazing brothers.
Meanwhile, the twins have not stopped investing in cryptocurrencies. Through Winklevoss Capital Management, they invest in around 50 different cryptocurrency and blockchain startups, including Slingshot and Taxbit. They are also not scared by the wave of current declines. As they say, they believe in visionaries and builders who push the boundaries of what is possible.
Recently, Cameron Winklevoss stated that “Bitcoin is not just an asset or technology. It is a move that offers a plan to dismantle traditional power structures. It promises greater independence, choice and opportunity.”
The future will show whether this unwavering faith in new technologies will allow them to expand the already shown empire.
