In today’s edition of Bitcoin in Brief, “U.S. person” Phil Potter, Chief Strategy Officer at crypto exchange Bitfinex, is departing the company as it pivots away from the United States. In America, the Supreme Court mentions Bitcoin and cowrie shells in the context of money. On Capitol Hill, congressmen have been warned to disclose their crypto holdings, while a Republican Rep. calls for “light touch” ICO regulations.
Also read: This Week in Bitcoin: McAfee Backs Off, Crypto World Cup and the Mystery of 21e8
Chief of Strategy Leaves Trading Platform Bitfinex
Phil Potter, the Chief Strategy Officer of Bitfinex, is leaving his post at the exchange, Reuters reported quoting both him and the company. Potter will be replaced by Chief Executive JL van der Velde, Bitfinex announced. Speaking of new opportunities he did not specify, Potter stated:
As Bitfinex pivots away from the U.S., I felt that, as a U.S. person, it was time for me to rethink my position as a member of the executive team.
Bitfinex, currently the fourth-largest cryptocurrency exchange by trading volume, is owned by a company based in the British Virgin Islands. The platform offers traders the opportunity to buy and sell cryptocurrencies such as bitcoin and ether. In April, Bitfinex also introduced trading for 12 altcoins.
The exchange shares management with Tether Limited, the company that issues the Tether token (USDT) which, according to its developers, is pegged to the U.S. dollar. The claim, however, has been contested by critics who doubt the company holds $1 USD in reserve for every minted coin.
According to a research paper by the University of Texas, Tether may have been used to manipulate the price of bitcoin last
