CEO of Bitcoin exchange found dead in Singapore | Hacker News Reader

CEO of Bitcoin exchange found dead in Singapore

washingtonpost.com

113 pointsgs729 comments

This (local) article covers it a bit better than the Washington Post:

http://www.straitstimes.com/breaking-news/singapore/story/bo...

First Meta isn't actually a Bitcoin exchange, but they accept Bitcoin as a payment method.

Wow that really changes the story. Putting "Bitcoin Exchange" in the title strongly implies that the recent disaster could have been a motive for her death. The fact that BTC is just another payment method for her company means something entirely different. Thank you for sharing this.

If she accepted payment in bitcoin isn't it possible that she had a bunch of bitcoins in MtGox?

Someone posted the following on Secret[0]:

> I put 1MM of our startup's cash into mt.gox and it's lost 80% of its value. I haven't told my cofounder or vcs yet

There was some speculation it might be the same person.

[0] https://pbs.twimg.com/media/BhTAf--CYAEtSNf.jpg

Whatever the case shit keeps getting real in the Bitcoin world lately.

>First Meta isn't actually a Bitcoin exchange

From the website Buy more of your preferred virtual currency at better rates

They sell Lindens, IMVU credits, FriendsHangout Tokens, etc. Virtual currency != cryptocurrency.

Depression is mentioned. As I'm sure everyone else here will say: There is no shame in getting help for that.

Whether or not there is shame in getting help for your depression is cultural. Saying so on a hackernews post doesn't change the reality on the ground for any potential viewer in, for example, Japan or China.

The health care situation in your country matters a lot too. Plenty of people are depressed and too poor to afford treatment.

Getting help may mean adjusting location to a less shameful community. With Internet communities and now the beginnings of Internet medical care, this might not even require geographic changes.

Are you suggesting people struggling with major depression move to a different country?

It was a little front-loaded, but the phrase "this might not even require geographic changes." at the end of his reply implies that it's less "move to a better country" and more "stop hanging around with people who damage your mental health and/or shame you for seeking help". This is very good advice, and following it in the past probably saved my life.

Can we clarify the exchange on this please, to avoid the linkbait, esp given the just posted newsweek article.

It's First Meta.

https://firstmetaexchange.com/home

Satoshi isn't the CEO of any exchange. How would one relate this to the Newsweek article?

I don't follow the multiples of Bitcoin articles that show up on HN daily, but both the Newsweek and this article caught my attention, and I was not clear on the founder vs. CEO separation.

Considering both of these are on the first page right now, I think it's easy for some of us to get our wires crossed, and am glad this clarification was made.

"Founder of Bitcoin" is not the same as "founder of Bitcoin exchange". It's like saying the founder of the dollar is the same as the founder of Bank of America.

Rick Falkvinge mentioned this earlier as one of ostensibly two Mt.Gox-linked suicides so far:

http://falkvinge.net/2014/02/28/the-gox-crater-crowd-detecti...

I'm tired of seeing these articles. Yes, suicide is a sad story. No, the company wasn't a Bitcoin exchange. Would it make headlines over and over if the story read "CEO of a company that accepts Bitcoins as a payment method found dead"?

It looks like an exchange.

This story was also submitted to HN here[1] and here[2].

[1]: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=7352175

[2]: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=7351374

I just watched a video from her a few days ago on exchanges and fraud...I'll get the link if anyone wants it.

Edit - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GzVxRmvipVY

I knew Autumn years ago. She was a brilliant individual with a deep connection to those around her. This is a loss of a tremendously capable, and compassionate, human being.

No reference to what exchange she worked for. Oh journalism...

FTA:

> Radtke’s company, First Meta, said it was "shocked and saddened by the tragic loss."

> First Meta allows users of virtual currencies such as bitcoin to trade and cash out the currencies. It is one of several such exchanges.

Maybe journalism isn't the problem here?

Looks like the disfigured website and possible content filtering physically blocked or skewed the site before. I see that now, thanks for the correction.

FYI: Counted 37 <iframes>

eerily just remembered Shane Todd http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Death_of_Shane_Todd

did she have a small child in a carrier in one photo. that's really sad about this.

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