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{{Short description|American cryptocurrency entrepreneur}}
{{Infobox person {{Infobox person
| name = Erik Tristan Voorhees | name = Erik Tristan Voorhees
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'''Erik Tristan Voorhees''' is an ]n-]nian ] entrepreneur. In 2014, he founded the cryptocurrency exchange ] which was implicated in facilitating money laundering. He also co-founded Satoshi Dice and was the Director of Marketing at ]. He has been referred to as a crypto-] and has advocated for "the separation of money and state".<ref name="wsj2021">{{Cite news |last=Raskin|first=Max|date=2021-02-10 |title=Can You Get Rich With Bitcoin? Sure, but Slowly |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/can-you-get-rich-with-bitcoin-sure-but-slowly-11612980337 |access-date=2023-12-28 |work=]|language=en-us|url-access=subscription}}</ref><ref name="Dalebook">{{cite book |last1=Dale |first1=Brady |title=SBF: how the FTX bankruptcy unwound crypto's very bad good guy |date=2023 |publisher=Wiley |location=Hoboken, New Jersey |isbn=9781394196074}}</ref> '''Erik Tristan Voorhees''' is an ]n ] entrepreneur and founder of the cryptocurrency exchange ]. He also co-founded Satoshi Dice and was the Director of Marketing at ]. He has been referred to as a crypto-] and has advocated for "the separation of money and state"<ref name="wsj20212">{{Cite news |last=Raskin |first=Max |date=2021-02-10 |title=Can You Get Rich With Bitcoin? Sure, but Slowly |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/can-you-get-rich-with-bitcoin-sure-but-slowly-11612980337 |url-access=subscription |access-date=2023-12-28 |work=The Wall Street Journal |language=en-us}}</ref><ref name="Dalebook2">{{cite book |last1=Dale |first1=Brady |title=SBF: how the FTX bankruptcy unwound crypto's very bad good guy |date=2023 |publisher=Wiley |isbn=9781394196074 |location=Hoboken, New Jersey}}</ref> and views ] as a tool for decentralizing financial power and challenging government control over currency.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Green |first=Jemma |title=Elon Musk Sues ChatGPT, Which Crypto Veterans Saw Coming |url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/jemmagreen/2024/03/01/elon-musk-sues-chatgpt-which-crypto-veterans-saw-coming/ |access-date=2024-11-15 |website=Forbes |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Moreno |first=Felix |date=2013-07-25 |title=Erik Voorhees: "Bitcoin is the new Frontier" |url=https://bitcoinmagazine.com/culture/erik-voorhees-new-frontier-1374794545 |access-date=2024-11-15 |website=Bitcoin Magazine - Bitcoin News, Articles and Expert Insights |language=en}}</ref>

Voorhees' involvement in the ]—a movement encouraging libertarians to relocate to ]—played a pivotal role in his ] of Bitcoin.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Spaven |first=Emily |date=2013-10-01 |title=Free State Project members now able to pay rent in bitcoins |url=https://www.coindesk.com/markets/2013/10/01/free-state-project-members-now-able-to-pay-rent-in-bitcoins/ |access-date=2024-11-15 |website=www.coindesk.com |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Hill |first=Kashmir |title=The Free State Project: A Libertarian Testing Ground For Bitcoin, 3D Printers, and Drones |url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/kashmirhill/2014/06/12/the-free-state-project-a-libertarian-testing-ground-for-bitcoin-3d-printers-and-drones/ |access-date=2024-11-15 |website=Forbes |language=en}}</ref> He was introduced to Bitcoin by ], currently a member of the ].<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=Interview with Erik Voorhees |url=https://www.maxraskin.com/interviews/erik-voorhees |access-date=2025-01-03 |website=Interviews with Max Raskin |language=en-US}}</ref>

During his time in New Hampshire, he actively promoted the use of cryptocurrency as a means of financial independence and resistance to centralized monetary systems. He has also emphasized the potential of Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies to challenge the ] of ] and foster innovation in global finance.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2018-06-11 |title='This is how money should be': Digital asset pioneer Erik Voorhees {{!}} American Banker |url=https://www.americanbanker.com/news/this-is-how-money-should-be-digital-asset-pioneer-erik-voorhees |access-date=2024-11-15 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180611042841/https://www.americanbanker.com/news/this-is-how-money-should-be-digital-asset-pioneer-erik-voorhees |archive-date=11 June 2018 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Torpey |first=Kyle |date=2015-08-21 |title=Erik Voorhees: The Separation of Money and State is the New Separation of Church and State |url=https://bitcoinmagazine.com/culture/erik-voorhees-separation-money-state-new-separation-church-state-1440193836 |access-date=2024-11-15 |website=Bitcoin Magazine - Bitcoin News, Articles and Expert Insights |language=en}}</ref>


== Biography == == Biography ==
Voorhees was born in ] in 1984,<ref name="Forbes2019">{{Cite news |last=del Castillo|first=Michael |date=2019-01-03 |title=Bitcoin's Last Gunslinger |url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/michaeldelcastillo/2019/01/03/bitcoins-last-gunslinger|access-date=2023-12-28 |work=]|language=en-us}}</ref> and was raised in ].<ref>{{Cite news |last1=Casey |first1=Michael J. |last2=Stynes |first2=Tess |date=2014-06-03 |title=Bitcoin Entrepreneur Agrees to Pay $50,000 to Settle SEC Charges |language=en-US |work=]|url=http://online.wsj.com/articles/bitcoin-entrepreneur-agrees-to-pay-50-000-to-settle-sec-charges-1401829262 |access-date=2023-12-29 |issn=0099-9660|url-access=subscription}}</ref> In 2003, Voorhees enrolled at the ], where he became friends with a fellow student named Nic Cary who would subsequently introduce to Voorhees ] and later founded ]. After graduating, Voorhees moved to Dubai, where he worked as a communications manager for a real estate company.<ref name="Forbes2019"/> Since 2013, he has been living in Panama.<ref>{{Cite news | last1=Foley |first1=Stephen |last2=Wild |first2= Jane |title=The bitcoin believers|url=https://articles.chicagotribune.com/2013-06-27/news/chi-ft-bitcoin-believers_1_virtual-currency-bitcoin-bitcoin-foundation-political-hue|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130715073034/https://articles.chicagotribune.com/2013-06-27/news/chi-ft-bitcoin-believers_1_virtual-currency-bitcoin-bitcoin-foundation-political-hue |access-date=2023-12-29 |work=]|date=June 27, 2013|archive-date=July 15, 2013}}</ref> Voorhees was born in ] in 1984,<ref name="Forbes2019">{{Cite news |last=del Castillo|first=Michael |date=2019-01-03 |title=Bitcoin's Last Gunslinger |url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/michaeldelcastillo/2019/01/03/bitcoins-last-gunslinger|access-date=2023-12-28 |work=]|language=en-us}}</ref> and was raised in ].<ref name="Casey">{{Cite news |last1=Casey |first1=Michael J. |last2=Stynes |first2=Tess |date=2014-06-03 |title=Bitcoin Entrepreneur Agrees to Pay $50,000 to Settle SEC Charges |language=en-US |work=]|url=http://online.wsj.com/articles/bitcoin-entrepreneur-agrees-to-pay-50-000-to-settle-sec-charges-1401829262 |access-date=2023-12-29 |issn=0099-9660|url-access=subscription}}</ref> In 2003, Voorhees enrolled at the ], where he became friends with a fellow student named ], who he would introduce to ]; Cary later founded ]. After graduating, Voorhees moved to Dubai, where he worked as a communications manager for a real estate company.<ref name="Forbes2019"/> Since 2013, he has been living in Panama.<ref>{{Cite news | last1=Foley |first1=Stephen |last2=Wild |first2= Jane |title=The bitcoin believers|url=https://www.ft.com/content/910858fa-d3bf-11e2-95d4-00144feab7de|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130620173647/http://www.ft.com/intl/cms/s/2/910858fa-d3bf-11e2-95d4-00144feab7de.html |access-date=April 21, 2024 |work=]|date=June 14, 2013|archive-date=June 20, 2013|url-access=subscription|url-status=dead}}</ref>


== Cryptocurrency career == == Cryptocurrency career ==
According to the '']'', Voorhees first encountered ] in 2011.<ref name="Forbes2019" /> His discovery of the Bitcoin coincided with his involvement in the ], an initiative aimed at recruiting 20,000 ]s to relocate to New Hampshire.<ref name="Scheck"/> According to the '']'', Voorhees first encountered ] in 2011.<ref name="Forbes2019" /> His discovery of the Bitcoin coincided with his involvement in the ], an initiative aimed at recruiting 20,000 ]s to relocate to New Hampshire.<ref name="Scheck"/><ref name=":0" />


In an August 2012 ] article, Voorhees was described as ]'s head of communications,<ref name="CNN">{{Cite web |last=Eha |first=Brian Patrick |date=2012-08-22 |title=Get ready for BitInstant's Bitcoin debit card |url=https://money.cnn.com/2012/08/22/technology/startups/bitcoin-debit-card/index.html |access-date=2023-12-29 |website=]}}</ref> while an '']'' article quoted him as BitInstant's director of marketing.<ref name="Ars Technica">{{Cite web |last=Farivar |first=Cyrus |date=2012-08-21 |title=Bitcoin company says debit cards coming in two months |url=https://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2012/08/bitcoin-company-says-debit-cards-coming-in-two-months/ |access-date=2023-11-17 |website=] |language=en-us}}</ref> In an August 2012 ] article, Voorhees was described as ]'s head of communications,<ref name="CNN">{{Cite web |last=Eha |first=Brian Patrick |date=2012-08-22 |title=Get ready for BitInstant's Bitcoin debit card |url=https://money.cnn.com/2012/08/22/technology/startups/bitcoin-debit-card/index.html |access-date=2023-12-29 |website=]}}</ref> while an '']'' article quoted him as BitInstant's director of marketing.<ref name="Ars Technica">{{Cite web |last=Farivar |first=Cyrus |date=2012-08-21 |title=Bitcoin company says debit cards coming in two months |url=https://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2012/08/bitcoin-company-says-debit-cards-coming-in-two-months/ |access-date=2023-11-17 |website=] |language=en-us}}</ref>


In April 2012, Voorhees launched Satoshi Dice, a bitcoin gambling site.<ref name="Winter">{{Cite news |last1=Winter |first1=Caroline |date=2013-01-03 |title=Bitcoin: Making Online Gambling Legal in the U.S.? |language=en |work=]|url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2013-01-03/bitcoin-making-online-gambling-legal-in-the-u-dot-s-dot |access-date=2023-11-17 |url-access=subscription}}</ref> Satoshi Dice would at one point in time account for half of all Bitcoin transaction volume.<ref name="Vigna2016">{{Cite book |last=Vigna|first= Paul|title=The Age of Cryptocurrency: How Bitcoin and the Blockchain Are Challenging the Global Economic Order |year=2016|publisher=Picador|isbn=978-1250081551 |author-link=}}</ref>{{rp|ch. 10}} Around 2012, after becoming a millionaire from his cryptocurrency investments, Voorhees indicated that he had almost completely cashed out, but clarified that he meant cashing out of traditional dollars, not cryptocurrencies.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Raskin |first=Max |date=2021-02-10 |title=Opinion {{!}} Can You Get Rich With Bitcoin? Sure, but Slowly |language=en-US |work=] |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/can-you-get-rich-with-bitcoin-sure-but-slowly-11612980337 |access-date=2024-01-03 |issn=0099-9660}}</ref> In 2013, he sold Satoshi Dice 126,315 bitcoins, equivalent to $11.5 million at the time.<ref>{{Cite news |date=2013-07-19 |title=First big Bitcoin acquisition: gambling site SatoshiDice bought for $11.5M |url=https://venturebeat.com/games/first-big-bitcoin-acquisition-satoshidice/ |access-date=2023-11-17 |work=GamesBeat |publisher=] |language=en-US}}</ref> In 2014, Voorhees paid $50,000 to the ] to settle an investigation into allegations of selling unregistered securities, associated with his sale of shares of SatoshiDice.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Silverman |first=Gary |date=2021-09-14 |title=Cryptocurrency: rise of decentralised finance sparks 'dirty money' fears |language=en-US |work=]|url=https://www.ft.com/content/beeb2f8c-99ec-494b-aa76-a7be0bf9dae6 |access-date=2023-12-28 |issn=}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last1=Michaels |first1=Dave |last2=Scheck |first2=Justin |last3=Shifflett |first3=Shane |date=2018-11-15 |title=Firm Tied to Cryptocurrency Entrepreneur Faces SEC Investigation |language=en-US |work=] |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/firm-tied-to-cryptocurrency-entrepreneur-faces-sec-investigation-1542319602 |access-date=2023-12-29 |issn=0099-9660 |url-access=subscription}}</ref> In April 2012, Voorhees launched Satoshi Dice, a bitcoin gambling site.<ref name="Winter">{{Cite news |last1=Winter |first1=Caroline |date=2013-01-03 |title=Bitcoin: Making Online Gambling Legal in the U.S.? |language=en |work=]|url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2013-01-03/bitcoin-making-online-gambling-legal-in-the-u-dot-s-dot |access-date=2023-11-17 |url-access=subscription}}</ref><ref name=":0" /> Satoshi Dice would at one point in time account for half of all Bitcoin transaction volume.<ref name="Vigna2016">{{Cite book |last=Vigna|first= Paul|title=The Age of Cryptocurrency: How Bitcoin and the Blockchain Are Challenging the Global Economic Order |year=2016|publisher=Picador|isbn=978-1250081551 |author-link=}}</ref>{{rp|ch. 10}} Around 2012, after becoming a millionaire from his cryptocurrency investments, Voorhees indicated that he had almost completely cashed out, but clarified that he meant cashing out of traditional dollars, not cryptocurrencies.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Raskin |first=Max |date=2021-02-10 |title=Opinion {{!}} Can You Get Rich With Bitcoin? Sure, but Slowly |language=en-US |work=] |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/can-you-get-rich-with-bitcoin-sure-but-slowly-11612980337 |access-date=2024-01-03 |issn=0099-9660}}</ref> In 2013, he sold Satoshi Dice for $11.5 million worth of bitcoin.<ref>{{Cite news |date=2013-07-19 |title=First big Bitcoin acquisition: gambling site SatoshiDice bought for $11.5M |url=https://venturebeat.com/games/first-big-bitcoin-acquisition-satoshidice/ |access-date=2023-11-17 |work=GamesBeat |publisher=] |language=en-US}}</ref> In 2014, Voorhees paid $50,000 to the ] to settle an investigation into allegations of selling unregistered securities, associated with his sale of shares of SatoshiDice.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Silverman |first=Gary |date=2021-09-14 |title=Cryptocurrency: rise of decentralised finance sparks 'dirty money' fears |language=en-US |work=]|url=https://www.ft.com/content/beeb2f8c-99ec-494b-aa76-a7be0bf9dae6 |access-date=2023-12-28 |issn=}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last1=Michaels |first1=Dave |last2=Scheck |first2=Justin |last3=Shifflett |first3=Shane |date=2018-11-15 |title=Firm Tied to Cryptocurrency Entrepreneur Faces SEC Investigation |language=en-US |work=] |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/firm-tied-to-cryptocurrency-entrepreneur-faces-sec-investigation-1542319602 |access-date=2023-12-29 |issn=0099-9660 |url-access=subscription}}</ref>

In July 2014, Voorhees launched ], a digital currency exchange, in ], as a response to the downfall of the ] exchange.<ref name="The New Yorker">{{Cite magazine |last=Eha |first=Brian Patrick |date=2014-02-25 |title=Bitcoin After the Mt. Gox Meltdown |language=en-US |magazine=] |url=https://www.newyorker.com/business/currency/bitcoin-after-the-mt-gox-meltdown |access-date=2023-11-17 |issn=0028-792X}}</ref> In 2014, an interview with him was included in the documentary '']''. In 2017 he stated he supported Segwit2x in the regards to the ].<ref>{{Cite news |last=Eha |first=Patrick |date=2017-08-16 |title='This is how money should be': Digital asset pioneer Erik Voorhees |language=en-US |agency=]|url=https://www.americanbanker.com/news/this-is-how-money-should-be-digital-asset-pioneer-erik-voorhees |access-date=2023-12-29 |issn=}}</ref> ShapeShift, unlike many exchanges, did not require user identification, allowing for anonymous transactions. This lack of oversight enabled criminals, including North Korean hackers and Ponzi scheme operators, to launder nearly $90 million in criminal proceeds, with ShapeShift processing the largest portion of these funds among exchanges with U.S. presence. ShapeShift's policy facilitated the conversion of traceable cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin into untraceable ones like ], effectively obscuring the money trail.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Casey |first=Michael J. |last2=Stynes |first2=Tess |date=2014-06-03 |title=Bitcoin Entrepreneur Agrees to Pay $50,000 to Settle SEC Charges |language=en-US |work=] |url=http://online.wsj.com/articles/bitcoin-entrepreneur-agrees-to-pay-50-000-to-settle-sec-charges-1401829262 |access-date=2024-01-03 |issn=0099-9660}}</ref><ref name="Scheck">{{Cite news |last1=Scheck |first1=Justin |last2=Shifflett |first2=Shane |date=2018-09-28 |title=How Dirty Money Disappears Into the Black Hole of Cryptocurrency |language=en-US |work=] |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/how-dirty-money-disappears-into-the-black-hole-of-cryptocurrency-1538149743 |access-date=2023-12-29 |issn=0099-9660 |url-access=subscription}}</ref>


In 2014, Erik Voorhees settled a dispute with the ] (SEC) for over $50,000 regarding unregistered bitcoin-denominated share offerings between May 2012 and February 2013. The offerings involved SatoshiDICE and FeedZeBirds, a service rewarding users with bitcoins for sharing sponsored messages on Twitter. The settlement, which Voorhees neither admitted nor denied, included a $35,000 penalty and forfeiture of profits, along with a five-year ban on participating in unregistered security offerings in exchange for virtual currencies.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Scheck |first=Justin |last2=Shifflett |first2=Shane |date=2018-09-28 |title=How Dirty Money Disappears Into the Black Hole of Cryptocurrency |language=en-US |work=]|url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/how-dirty-money-disappears-into-the-black-hole-of-cryptocurrency-1538149743 |access-date=2024-01-03 |issn=0099-9660}}</ref> In July 2014, Voorhees launched ], a digital currency exchange, in ], as a response to the downfall of the ] exchange.<ref name="The New Yorker">{{Cite magazine |last=Eha |first=Brian Patrick |date=2014-02-25 |title=Bitcoin After the Mt. Gox Meltdown |language=en-US |magazine=] |url=https://www.newyorker.com/business/currency/bitcoin-after-the-mt-gox-meltdown |access-date=2023-11-17 |issn=0028-792X}}</ref> In 2014, an interview with him was included in the documentary '']''. In 2017 he stated he supported Segwit2x in the regards to the ].<ref>{{Cite news |last=Eha |first=Patrick |date=2017-08-16 |title='This is how money should be': Digital asset pioneer Erik Voorhees |language=en-US |agency=]|url=https://www.americanbanker.com/news/this-is-how-money-should-be-digital-asset-pioneer-erik-voorhees |access-date=2023-12-29 |issn=}}</ref> ShapeShift, unlike many exchanges, did not require user identification, allowing for anonymous transactions. This lack of oversight enabled criminals, including North Korean hackers and Ponzi scheme operators, to launder nearly $90 million in criminal proceeds, with ShapeShift processing the largest portion of these funds among exchanges with U.S. presence. ShapeShift's policy facilitated the conversion of traceable cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin into untraceable ones like ], effectively obscuring the money trail.<ref name="Casey"/><ref name="Scheck">{{Cite news |last1=Scheck |first1=Justin |last2=Shifflett |first2=Shane |date=2018-09-28 |title=How Dirty Money Disappears Into the Black Hole of Cryptocurrency |language=en-US |work=] |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/how-dirty-money-disappears-into-the-black-hole-of-cryptocurrency-1538149743 |access-date=2023-12-29 |issn=0099-9660 |url-access=subscription}}</ref>


In 2018, Erik Voorhees was implicated in an SEC investigation into a $50 million cryptocurrency sale by Salt Lending Holdings Inc., where he was involved in fundraising. WSJ stated, that the SEC had been analysing whether Salt's token sale should had been registered as a securities offering and if it had violated a 2014 settlement banning Voorhees from such fundraising. As it was stated in a previous WSJ significant investigation on Voorhees<ref name="wsj2021" />, ShapeShift, run by Voorhees, has been used by criminals to launder money, leading to law enforcement scrutiny and Voorhees has previously settled with the SEC for conducting an illegal stock offering for an internet gambling company, and his involvement with Salt's private offering raises legal concerns regarding his compliance with SEC regulations.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Michaels |first=Dave |last2=Scheck |first2=Justin |last3=Shifflett |first3=Shane |date=2018-11-15 |title=Firm Tied to Cryptocurrency Entrepreneur Faces SEC Investigation |language=en-US |work=Wall Street Journal |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/firm-tied-to-cryptocurrency-entrepreneur-faces-sec-investigation-1542319602 |access-date=2024-01-03 |issn=0099-9660}}</ref> In 2018, Erik Voorhees was implicated in an SEC investigation into a $50 million cryptocurrency sale by Salt Lending Holdings Inc., where he was involved in fundraising. ] stated, that the SEC had been analysing whether Salt's token sale should have been registered as a securities offering and if it had violated a 2014 settlement banning Voorhees from such fundraising. As it was stated in a previous WSJ significant investigation on Voorhees,<ref name="wsj2021">{{Cite news |last=Raskin |first=Max |date=2021-02-10 |title=Can You Get Rich With Bitcoin? Sure, but Slowly |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/can-you-get-rich-with-bitcoin-sure-but-slowly-11612980337 |url-access=subscription |access-date=2023-12-28 |work=] |language=en-us}}</ref> ShapeShift, run by Voorhees, has been used by criminals to launder money, leading to law enforcement scrutiny and Voorhees has previously settled with the SEC for conducting an illegal stock offering for an internet gambling company, and his involvement with Salt's private offering raises legal concerns regarding his compliance with SEC regulations.<ref>{{Cite news |last1=Michaels |first1=Dave |last2=Scheck |first2=Justin |last3=Shifflett |first3=Shane |date=2018-11-15 |title=Firm Tied to Cryptocurrency Entrepreneur Faces SEC Investigation |language=en-US |work=The Wall Street Journal |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/firm-tied-to-cryptocurrency-entrepreneur-faces-sec-investigation-1542319602 |access-date=2024-01-03 |issn=0099-9660}}</ref>


In 2022, Voorhees was quoted in media in opposition to financial surveillance, in relating to a public spat he had with ], as SBF was promoting regulation of the crypto industry and Voorhees was opposed to it.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Berwick |first=Angus |date=2022-11-23 |title=Crypto exchanges enabled online child sex-abuse profiteer |language=en-US |work=]|url=https://www.reuters.com/legal/government/crypto-exchanges-enabled-online-child-sex-abuse-profiteer-2022-11-23/ |access-date=2023-12-28 |issn=}}</ref><ref name="Dalebook"/>{{rp|ch. 38}}<ref name="Armstrongbook">{{Cite book |last=Armstrong|first= Ben |title=Catching Up to FTX: Lessons Learned in My Crusade Against Corruption, Fraud, and Bad Hair |year=2023|publisher=Wiley |isbn=978-1394210329 |author-link=}}</ref>{{rp|ch. 13}}<ref name="Reuters">{{Cite news |last=Roberts |first=Jeff John|date=2022-10-21 |title=Sam Bankman-Fried, Erik Voorhees and the battle for crypto's soul |language=en-US |agency=]|url=https://fortune.com/crypto/2022/10/21/sam-bankman-fried-erik-voorhees-and-the-battle-for-cryptos-soul/ |access-date=2023-12-29}}</ref> In 2022, Voorhees was quoted in media in opposition to financial surveillance, in relating to a public spat he had with ], as SBF was promoting regulation of the crypto industry and Voorhees was opposed to it.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Berwick |first=Angus |date=2022-11-23 |title=Crypto exchanges enabled online child sex-abuse profiteer |language=en-US |work=]|url=https://www.reuters.com/legal/government/crypto-exchanges-enabled-online-child-sex-abuse-profiteer-2022-11-23/ |access-date=2023-12-28 |issn=}}</ref><ref name="Dalebook2"/>{{rp|ch. 38}}<ref name="Armstrongbook">{{Cite book |last=Armstrong|first= Ben |title=Catching Up to FTX: Lessons Learned in My Crusade Against Corruption, Fraud, and Bad Hair |year=2023|publisher=Wiley |isbn=978-1394210329 |author-link=}}</ref>{{rp|ch. 13}}<ref name="Reuters">{{Cite news |last=Roberts |first=Jeff John|date=2022-10-21 |title=Sam Bankman-Fried, Erik Voorhees and the battle for crypto's soul |language=en-US |agency=]|url=https://fortune.com/crypto/2022/10/21/sam-bankman-fried-erik-voorhees-and-the-battle-for-cryptos-soul/ |access-date=2023-12-29}}</ref>


== References == == References ==
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Latest revision as of 14:55, 3 January 2025

American cryptocurrency entrepreneur
Erik Tristan Voorhees
Voorhees interviewed by Reason TV in 2021
NationalityAmerican-Panamanian
Educationthe University of Puget Sound (2007)
OccupationCryptocurrency entrepreneur

Erik Tristan Voorhees is an American cryptocurrency entrepreneur and founder of the cryptocurrency exchange ShapeShift. He also co-founded Satoshi Dice and was the Director of Marketing at BitInstant. He has been referred to as a crypto-libertarian and has advocated for "the separation of money and state" and views Bitcoin as a tool for decentralizing financial power and challenging government control over currency.

Voorhees' involvement in the Free State Project—a movement encouraging libertarians to relocate to New Hampshire—played a pivotal role in his early adoption of Bitcoin. He was introduced to Bitcoin by Keith Ammon, currently a member of the New Hampshire House of Representatives.

During his time in New Hampshire, he actively promoted the use of cryptocurrency as a means of financial independence and resistance to centralized monetary systems. He has also emphasized the potential of Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies to challenge the monopoly of fiat currencies and foster innovation in global finance.

Biography

Voorhees was born in Danbury, Connecticut in 1984, and was raised in Colorado. In 2003, Voorhees enrolled at the University of Puget Sound, where he became friends with a fellow student named Nicolas Cary, who he would introduce to Bitcoin; Cary later founded Blockchain.com. After graduating, Voorhees moved to Dubai, where he worked as a communications manager for a real estate company. Since 2013, he has been living in Panama.

Cryptocurrency career

According to the Wall Street Journal, Voorhees first encountered Bitcoin in 2011. His discovery of the Bitcoin coincided with his involvement in the Free State Project, an initiative aimed at recruiting 20,000 libertarians to relocate to New Hampshire.

In an August 2012 CNN article, Voorhees was described as BitInstant's head of communications, while an Ars Technica article quoted him as BitInstant's director of marketing.

In April 2012, Voorhees launched Satoshi Dice, a bitcoin gambling site. Satoshi Dice would at one point in time account for half of all Bitcoin transaction volume. Around 2012, after becoming a millionaire from his cryptocurrency investments, Voorhees indicated that he had almost completely cashed out, but clarified that he meant cashing out of traditional dollars, not cryptocurrencies. In 2013, he sold Satoshi Dice for $11.5 million worth of bitcoin. In 2014, Voorhees paid $50,000 to the SEC to settle an investigation into allegations of selling unregistered securities, associated with his sale of shares of SatoshiDice.

In July 2014, Voorhees launched ShapeShift, a digital currency exchange, in Switzerland, as a response to the downfall of the Mt. Gox exchange. In 2014, an interview with him was included in the documentary The Rise and Rise of Bitcoin. In 2017 he stated he supported Segwit2x in the regards to the Bitcoin scalability problem. ShapeShift, unlike many exchanges, did not require user identification, allowing for anonymous transactions. This lack of oversight enabled criminals, including North Korean hackers and Ponzi scheme operators, to launder nearly $90 million in criminal proceeds, with ShapeShift processing the largest portion of these funds among exchanges with U.S. presence. ShapeShift's policy facilitated the conversion of traceable cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin into untraceable ones like Monero, effectively obscuring the money trail.

In 2018, Erik Voorhees was implicated in an SEC investigation into a $50 million cryptocurrency sale by Salt Lending Holdings Inc., where he was involved in fundraising. WSJ stated, that the SEC had been analysing whether Salt's token sale should have been registered as a securities offering and if it had violated a 2014 settlement banning Voorhees from such fundraising. As it was stated in a previous WSJ significant investigation on Voorhees, ShapeShift, run by Voorhees, has been used by criminals to launder money, leading to law enforcement scrutiny and Voorhees has previously settled with the SEC for conducting an illegal stock offering for an internet gambling company, and his involvement with Salt's private offering raises legal concerns regarding his compliance with SEC regulations.

In 2022, Voorhees was quoted in media in opposition to financial surveillance, in relating to a public spat he had with Sam Bankman-Fried, as SBF was promoting regulation of the crypto industry and Voorhees was opposed to it.

References

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