Transforming Financial Systems: Identity and Blockchain in the Caribbean

Gabriel Abed, founder of Bitt.com and Vice President of the board of directors, describes how he went from mining Bitcoin to persuading governors of central banks to not quash Bitt's goal to create central bank digital currencies in the Caribbean and getting the Eastern Caribbean Central Bank to pilot one starting next year. He tells the tale of how Overstock came to invest in Bitt, how he brought on a new CEO to take over the company he founded, and how he teamed up with Polymath to create a new company that became the single largest shareholder of the Barbados Stock Exchange. He also describes Digital Asset Capital Management, an investment firm he launched, and why he's still a Bitcoin maximalist despite working on and investing in other types of cryptocurrencies. 

Virtues of the Crypto Revolution retreat with Meltem Demirors of CoinShares and Jalak Jobanputra of Future Perfect Ventures: https://www.eomega.org/workshops/virtues-of-the-crypto-revolution

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Episode links:

Bitt.com: https://www.bitt.com/

Gabriel Abed: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gabrielabed/

mMoney in Barbados: https://www.mmoneybb.com/

Digital Asset Capital Management: https://dacm.io/

Overstock announces $4 million investment in Bitt.com, to total $16 million over time: https://bitcoinmagazine.com/articles/overstock-invests-in-bitt-to-launch-official-digital-currencies-in-the-caribbean-islands-1459961581

Second Overstock investment in Bitt.com of $3 million: https://www.coindesk.com/overstock-venture-arm-invests-3-million-in-blockchain-payments-startup

CoinDesk on the meaning of Bitt's work with the Barbadian digital dollar: https://www.coindesk.com/how-a-tiny-island-could-give-cryptocurrency-a-big-boost

Bitt’s pilot with Eastern Caribbean Central Bank:

https://www.coindesk.com/eastern-caribbean-central-bank-takes-step-toward-digital-currency-roll-out

Partnership with Centrale Bank van Curaçao en Sint Maarten (CBCS) to look into issuing a central bank-backed digital currency for Curaçao and Sint Maarten:

https://www.coindesk.com/bitt-partners-with-dutch-caribbean-islands-to-explore-central-bank-crypto

Bitt's identity work: https://www.coindesk.com/bitt-reveals-big-plans-blockchain-powered-caribbean-settlement-network

Crypto activity in Bermuda and the Caribbean: 

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/07/29/technology/cryptocurrency-bermuda-malta-gibraltar.html

Bermuda's crypto regulatory framework: 

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/why-bermuda-is-going-crypto-with-new-regulatory-framework-130512103.html

Unchained interview with CZ of Binance: https://unchainedpodcast.com/how-binance-became-the-most-popular-crypto-exchange-in-5-months-ep-84/

Unchained interview with Bitfury: https://unchainedpodcast.com/bitfury-on-the-ways-it-collaborates-with-governments-and-why-its-partnered-with-a-public-company/

Unchained interview with Sandra Ro: https://unchainedpodcast.com/what-is-one-of-the-worlds-largest-derivatives-exchanges-doing-with-bitcoin/

Unconfirmed interview with Dante Disparte: https://unchainedpodcast.com/libras-dante-disparte-on-why-we-should-trust-a-financial-system-designed-by-facebook/

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