Dan Spuller

With 2015 is coming to a close, it seems like an appropriate time to check in on the state of Bitcoin from a global and local perspective.  This year was a time of growth, regulation, mergers and expansion for the industry. The price volatility was much more stable in comparison to what we saw in 2013 and 2014. But perhaps the most significant milestone was, as CNN reported, when the industry hit a record $1 billion in total VC investment in early November. Funding continues to outpace many other fast-growing startup sectors including crowdfunding, drones, private space travel and photo sharing.  The latter part...

As I mentioned in a previous article, the Bitcoin & blockchain tech industry is poised to break $1 billion in overall venture capital (VC) investment by the end of 2015.  Seven months into the year, we have some hard numbers which indicate the industry will reach that milestone. Total Bitcoin VC increased 21% to $832 million in the second quarter of 2015, with its two biggest deals by Circle and Ripple of $50 million and $28 million, respectively. Many large financial and technology giants are also deeply examining Bitcoin and blockchain technologies, as those in the industry had speculated might...

Many have speculated that 2015 would be the year Bitcoin emerged from the “shadows” and into the mainstream. Six months into this calendar year, it looks as if that speculation is turning into reality.  While the value of an individual Bitcoin has dropped since December 2013’s peak, growth in private venture capital investment into Bitcoin companies has been astronomical. In fact, all-time bitcoin startup VC investment reached $676 million in the 1st quarter of 2015, and will likely hit $1 billion by the end of this year. The number of new trading venues, products and technology providers indicate that 2015 will...

When my colleague Faruk Okcetin and I both decided to put together last year’s Cryptolina Bitcoin Expo, I do not think either one of us knew how consequential the Bitcoin discussion would become, just in the last 12 months.    Venture capital is pouring into Bitcoin exchanges and businesses. At the end of 2014, the industry had received nearly $400M in aggregate funding. In January 2015, Coinbase, founded by two Duke alums, raised $75 million in largest-ever VC round for a Bitcoin company. And in May 2014, the Federal Elections Commission (FEC) gave a unanimous green light to permitting bitcoin donations in federal political campaigns. With...