Barry Silbert, the Digital Currency Group (DCG) founder, is among the most influential individuals in the crypto industry. His name has grown in popularity as a result of his firm’s impact on crypto through making investments in various projects. This article discusses everything that you need to know about Silbert.
Meet Barry Silbert
Born in 1976, Barry Silbert has had an interest in business ever since he was young. In high school, the DCG founder sat for his General Securities Representative (GSR) exam to become a qualified stockbroker. He later joined Emory University to pursue a Bachelor’s Degree in Finance, and in 1999, he graduated and got hired by Houlihan Lokey Investment Bank as an investment banker.
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What Barry Silbert Does
Silbert worked at Houlihan Lokey for four years and then resigned in 2004 to found his own firm, Restricted Stock Partner. He would later rebrand the company to SecondMarket in 2008. At the time, Barry explained that the rebranding was fueled by the change in his company’s vision. SecondMarket provided a platform for other firms to raise funds by trading their illiquid assets.
In late 2009, Ernst and Young recognized the DCG founder as the Entrepreneur of the Year. Silbert was also featured in Fortune magazine’s Top 40 Under 40 in mid-2011.
He knew about crypto in 2012. After researching and recognizing the potential that digital assets had, he left his CEO role at SecondMarket in order to explore cryptocurrencies.
Barry Silbert Starts Digital Currency Group
A few months after stepping down from his position at SecondMarkets, Silbert decided to sell the company to NASDAQ. He used the money raised to create Digital Currency Group, which is now one of the largest crypto asset managers. DCG began operations in 2015.
Why is Barry Silbert Important?
The DCG founder has helped drive mainstream crypto adoption by exposing traditional investors to the digital asset ecosystem without the need to own cryptocurrencies. Moreover, Silbert’s financial background can help crypto companies facing financial crises stay afloat during those tough times.
Digital Currency Group’s Subsidiaries
Since launching DCG in 2015, Silbert has added several companies to Digital Currency Group’s portfolio. They include:
Genesis
Genesis is a crypto lending protocol. Before filing for bankruptcy earlier this year due to “poor market conditions,” the platform allowed users to deposit funds to earn interest or borrow loans. Genesis is currently planning to revive the business and restructure its management to serve clients better.
CoinDesk
Shakil Khan founded CoinDesk in 2013. Three years later, he sold the crypto-focused news website to Digital Currency Group. In the latest development, DCG is apparently looking to sell CoinDesk for $100 million to raise funds that would help the firm maneuver the current bear market. In August 2023, the news site sent home about 40% of its employees.
Foundry
Launched last year, Foundry provides crypto mining machines to miners, loans for buying the equipment, and also offers access to staking opportunities. Digital Currency Group has so far invested roughly $100 million in its subsidiary.
Luno
Digital Currency Group bought Luno in 2020. It is a cryptocurrency exchange with a presence in more than 35 countries, most of which are in Africa and Southeast Asia.
Grayscale
This company manages cryptocurrencies for investors and private companies. Through its Grayscale Bitcoin Trust, the firm owns approximately 600,100 BTC. This figure represents 3% of Bitcoin’s circulating supply.
Grayscale has been attempting to convert its Bitcoin Trust to a Bitcoin spot Exchange Traded Fund (ETF), but the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) remains reluctant to approve the ETF. However, a US court recently ordered the review of the SEC’s decision to deny Grayscale Bitcoin spot ETF, arguing that the commission did not provide sufficient explanation. The Judge’s verdict has made crypto enthusiasts to be optimistic that the SEC will soon approve the ETF.
Conclusion
Barry Silbert’s contributions to the development of the crypto industry cannot be denied. However, the recent lawsuits brought against his companies may damage his reputation.