Issue #3

Covering March 9th, 2023 - March 22nd, 2023

Author

Eric Podwojski
March 22, 2023

Brought to you by Bitcoin Talent Co.

Bitcoin has the potential to disrupt the traditional banking system, by enabling peer-to-peer transactions without the need for intermediaries. - The Economist (2011)

🚨 News & Updates

Covering March 9th, 2023 - March 22nd, 2023

🚀 Company Updates 

Marathon Digital Holdings has terminated its loan facilities with Silvergate Bank, which is in the process of winding down operations. The decision was based on a shift to build liquidity, freeing up $68 million worth of Bitcoin held as collateral and reducing debt and borrowing costs. Marathon Digital Holdings is the second largest publicly traded Bitcoin mining company with a market capitalization of ~$1.4B.

Wolf, The New York-based Lightning Accelerator, has announced its first set of companies and projects, receiving over 100 applications from teams from 36 countries. The selected companies are working on topics such as decentralized trading and automated Lightning node management. The announcement coincides with growth on the Lightning Network, with committed investors and mentors from industry heavyweights.

OKX released a second proof-of-reserves report verifying that it had sufficient assets to cover customer withdrawals. Users can now view and download the reserve ratios and assess the exchange's health, which is becoming more relevant for exchanges after the dramatic fall of FTX in November 2021. OKX is a cryptocurrency exchange with 113,754 bitcoin ($1.87 billion) held against user balances.

 🟠 Product Updates

River Financial Inc. and Bitcoin Magazine have partnered to provide users with the ability to purchase Bitcoin through the Bitcoin Magazine App. Users can earn free sats by reading articles about Bitcoin on the app and withdraw them to a River wallet or another wallet of their choice.

Fidelity launches Fidelity Crypto to the public, allowing millions of retail users to invest in bitcoin without having to pay a commission fee. Noteworthy, the platform does not allow users to withdraw their bitcoin to a non-custodial wallet at the moment. The launch of the app comes at a time when the US regulatory environment is becoming more active and two major banking partners have collapsed.

Wasabi Wallet announces the release of version 2.0.3, which includes an update bringing back Coin Control, an industry standard for privacy-conscious Bitcoin users. Coin Control allows optional insight and control of the wallet’s Smart Coin Selection Algorithm via Coin Control for sending. Counter to the most recent update, Wasabi Wallet 1.0 demonstrated that Coin Control often caused more harm than good.

The Bitcoin Product Community was recently launched by a group of Bitcoin-oriented product contributors who created a space to collaborate, share ideas, and develop skills. The mission of the community is to network, connect projects with contributors, identify and fill gaps, and foster collaboration with FOSS and commercial Bitcoin projects. Everyone is welcome, regardless of background, with the only requirement being humility and a commitment to a few hours of work each week.

👥 People Updates

Balaji Srinivasan, former Coinbase CTO, has made a bet with James Medlock that Bitcoin will reach $1 million in the next 90 days due to possible hyperinflation in the US. Srinivasan argues that there could be a crisis that will lead to deflation of the US dollar and hyperinflation of Bitcoin, while Medlock is bearish about the US economy's future. Bitcoin's price has been outperforming US stocks, and for the first time in a year has shifted away from them.

Natalie Smolenski announces joining the Forbes Digital Assets team as a contributor. Smolenski is also a senior advisor at the Bitcoin Policy Institute and Founder and Executive Director at the Texas Bitcoin Foundation. Working for (2) nonprofits in the Bitcoin ecosystem, Smolenski will present her knowledge of Bitcoin to an even bigger audience at Forbes.

Alpha Zeta announces joining the Swan Bitcoin team as their CIO. With professional experience in Fintech and contributions to Bitcoin as an open-source developer, Zeta seems to be the perfect fit to lead Swan's investment strategy. This executive hire comes a few months after Swan announced four new senior hires in January 2023. 

🎙 Interviews w/ Industry Leaders

KEY: 🎙 = listen, 📺 = watch, 📖 = read

BTCo2: Justine Harper from Unchained Capital: Host Eric Podwojski interviews the VP of Business Development at Unchained Capital, Justine Harper, to discuss her career path as she transitioned from an education and sales background in fiat to a Bitcoin company. (🎙, 📺)

BTCo3: Andy Schoonover from CrowdHealth: Host Eric Podwojski interviews the Founder and CEO of CrowdHealth, Andy Schoonover, to discuss his career path in healthcare and how Bitcoin made its way into his life and business. (🎙, 📺)

Bitcoin Rapid-Fire: Getting a Job in Bitcoin w/ Andy & Eric of Bitcoin Talent Co.: Host John Vallis interviews co-founders of Bitcoin Talent Co., Andy Thompson and Eric Podwojski, about their goal of seeking to fill a huge number of positions in Bitcoin with value-aligned hires. (🎙, 📺)

WBD #629: Building a Bitcoin Community with Thomas Pacchia: Host Peter McCormack interviews entrepreneur and co-owner of Pubkey, Thomas Pacchia, about the importance of the bar as a focal point for Bitcoin in New York City, and how its success could inspire more Pubkeys in more cities. (🎙, 📺, 📖)

BTC121: Bank Failures & Bitcoin w/ Steven McClurg: Host Preston Pysh interviews the CIO of Valkyrie, Steven McClurg, about recent bankruptcies and the overall impact on the broader economy and Bitcoin onramps. (🎙, 📺, 📖)

The Pomp Podcast #1170: Cathie Wood on Bitcoin, Tech, Venture Capital, and Innovation: Host Anthony Pompliano interviews Founder and CEO of Ark Investment Management, Cathie Wood, about investment horizon in oil & energy, bitcoin & the crypto market, regulation, and importance of thinking indecently. (🎙, 📺)

Bitcoin with Jake #68: Neil Woodfine: Industry Insights, Financial Services, & Bitcoin's Future: Host Jake Woodhouse interviews the Head of Marketing at Unchained Capital, Neil Woodfine, about jobseeking in Bitcoin and how BTC has changed him. (🎙)

🔦 Company Spotlight

Total Funding

$90M (Source: Crunchbase)

About

Strike is a fintech startup that has created a platform that allows users to send and receive money instantly, globally, and with no fees, using the Bitcoin network. The company was founded in 2018 by Jack Mallers, who wanted to make Bitcoin more accessible and useful for everyday transactions. Strike uses the Lightning Network, a layer-2 scaling solution on top of the Bitcoin blockchain, to process transactions instantly and at a low cost.

One of the key features of Strike is its ability to convert any currency to Bitcoin and vice versa seamlessly and at the best available exchange rate. This means that users can send money to someone on the other side of the world without worrying about exchange rates or fees, and the recipient can receive the money in their local currency. Strike's platform is also non-custodial, which means that users have complete control over their funds and can withdraw them at any time.

In addition to its peer-to-peer money transfer service, Strike has also launched a 'Get paid in bitcoin' feature. This allows anyone working a traditional fiat job to automatically convert all or a portion of their paycheck to bitcoin with no added transaction fees. With its focus on usability, accessibility, and low fees, Strike has the potential to revolutionize the way we think about money transfer and payments.

Leadership

💼 Working in Bitcoin 

Bitcoin Talent Co. is the first recruiting firm to focus exclusively on the Bitcoin landscape. We see through the noise of crypto, blockchain, Web3, and all other buzzwords to help Bitcoin-focused companies operate at scale. Below are some of the positions we are actively recruiting candidates for.

Open Roles

  1. Sales Director - An AI-focused technology company that uses the Lightning network to pay users for completing micro tasks is looking for an experienced sales hunter to bring their product to market. A candidate with existing contacts within the traditional media industry is a plus.

  2. Bug Bounty Program Manager - A Bitcoin company leveraging the Lightning network to create a bounty marketplace is looking for a sales expert with a technical vocabulary who is able to attract quality developers to the platform to complete bounties. A candidate with existing contacts within bitcoin companies is a plus.

  3. VP of Engineering - An interoperable Web 5 company using the Lightning network for decentralized bitcoin payments is hiring a VP of Engineering to work closely with the CEO. The role requires a candidate willing to work more than 60 hours per week writing code and managing an engineering team.

  4. Recruiter - Bitcoin Talent Co. is seeking an experienced recruiter to join the team. Knowledge about Bitcoin and Bitcoin culture is a must.

🤔 Interested in an open role or know someone who may be interested?

Send us a message or reach out if you have strong folks in your network that could be a great fit, we have a very exciting referral program!👇

That's a wrap for this biweekly newsletter. See ya in +2016 blocks from now! 

If you want more, be sure to follow our Twitter (@BitcoinTalentCo) and connect with us on LinkedIn.

 - Eric (@epodrulz)

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