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Journeys: Hervé Larren on Bitcoin, Apes and the psychology of ‘blue-chip’ NFTs

Hervé Larren’s crypto journey has taken him from luxury goods to Bitcoin mining and back full circle to the world of “blue-chip” NFTs.

Journeys: Hervé Larren on Bitcoin, Apes and the psychology of ‘blue-chip’ NFTs

During a period of hyperinflation in 2013, “my Venezuelan mother asked me to send money to Caracas, the country’s capital,” Hervé Larren recalls. However, bank transfers were not possible between the two countries. 

Busy with work in New York, he told a friend that he planned to fly to Caracas — carrying cash for his mother — and return the same day. “Why don’t you just send Bitcoin?” his friend asked, which quickly led to a change of plans as Larren made his first Bitcoin transfer.

“My first crypto transaction, in 2013, was to wire Bitcoin from the U.S. to Venezuela. Due to the economic collapse, there was no functioning banking system between these two countries.”

Switching from a career with luxury goods company LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton, Larren co-founded a large-scale crypto mining operation and worked with Grayscale to bring crypto assets to old-school investors. He later became a key adviser to ApeCoin and the first person to bid a million dollars for a nonfungible token.

From old to new

“We were reporting to Nicolas Sarkozy, and he was coming to our meetings,” Larren recalls of his time as the head of a high school student council in Neuilly-sur-Seine, the wealthiest old-money suburb of Paris, where he grew up. 


Journeys: Hervé Larren on Bitcoin, Apes and the psychology of ‘blue-chip’ NFTs

During a period of hyperinflation in 2013, “my Venezuelan mother asked me to send money to Caracas, the country’s capital,” Hervé Larren recalls. However, bank transfers were not possible between the two countries. 

Busy with work in New York, he told a friend that he planned to fly to Caracas — carrying cash for his mother — and return the same day. “Why don’t you just send Bitcoin?” his friend asked, which quickly led to a change of plans as Larren made his first Bitcoin transfer.

“My first crypto transaction, in 2013, was to wire Bitcoin from the U.S. to Venezuela. Due to the economic collapse, there was no functioning banking system between these two countries.”

Switching from a career with luxury goods company LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton, Larren co-founded a large-scale crypto mining operation and worked with Grayscale to bring crypto assets to old-school investors. He later became a key adviser to ApeCoin and the first person to bid a million dollars for a nonfungible token.

From old to new

“We were reporting to Nicolas Sarkozy, and he was coming to our meetings,” Larren recalls of his time as the head of a high school student council in Neuilly-sur-Seine, the wealthiest old-money suburb of Paris, where he grew up. 


Journeys: Hervé Larren on Bitcoin, Apes and the psychology of ‘blue-chip’ NFTs

Hervé Larren’s crypto journey has taken him from luxury goods to Bitcoin mining and back full circle to the world of “blue-chip” NFTs.

Journeys: Hervé Larren on Bitcoin, Apes and the psychology of ‘blue-chip’ NFTs

Hervé Larren’s crypto journey has taken him from luxury goods to Bitcoin mining and back full circle to the world of “blue-chip” NFTs.

Journeys: Hervé Larren on Bitcoin, Apes and the psychology of ‘blue-chip’ NFTs

Hervé Larren’s crypto journey has taken him from luxury goods to Bitcoin mining and back full circle to the world of “blue-chip” NFTs.

Journeys: Hervé Larren on Bitcoin, Apes and the psychology of ‘blue-chip’ NFTs

During a period of hyperinflation in 2013, “my Venezuelan mother asked me to send money to Caracas, the country’s capital,” Hervé Larren recalls. However, bank transfers were not possible between the two countries. 

Busy with work in New York, he told a friend that he planned to fly to Caracas — carrying cash for his mother — and return the same day. “Why don’t you just send Bitcoin?” his friend asked, which quickly led to a change of plans as Larren made his first Bitcoin transfer.

“My first crypto transaction, in 2013, was to wire Bitcoin from the U.S. to Venezuela. Due to the economic collapse, there was no functioning banking system between these two countries.”

Switching from a career with luxury goods company LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton, Larren co-founded a large-scale crypto mining operation and worked with Grayscale to bring crypto assets to old-school investors. He later became a key adviser to ApeCoin and the first person to bid a million dollars for a nonfungible token.

From old to new

“We were reporting to Nicolas Sarkozy, and he was coming to our meetings,” Larren recalls of his time as the head of a high school student council in Neuilly-sur-Seine, the wealthiest old-money suburb of Paris, where he grew up. 


Bruce Lee avatar to teach martial arts in the metaverse

Those who wish to participate can do so by minting their avatars in the Polygon and Ethereum blockchains.

NFT-optimized Palm Network to become a Polygon ZK Supernet

The Ethereum sidechain will transition to a proof-of-stake network this August and become a full-fledged layer 2 based on Polygon’s zero-knowledge protocol in 2024.

Smart contracts continue to rise amid market downturn: BNB Chain Q2 report

BNB Chain noted that the rise in verified smart contracts highlights the demand for security, reliability and scalability.

Hong Kong and Saudi Arabia collaborate on tokens and payments

The Saudi Central Bank warned in 2019 that Bitcoin is “not recognized by legal entities” but hasn’t made many statements on crypto since.

Hong Kong and Saudi Arabia collaborate on tokens and payments

The Saudi Central Bank warned in 2019 that Bitcoin is “not recognized by legal entities” but hasn’t made many statements on crypto since.

German political parties split on how to regulate increasing AI adoption

As the trilogue on the AI Act begins, the European Commission, German politicians, and digital experts express skepticism and make new demands.

Securitize issues tokenized assets in Spain, plans September trading start

The U.S.-based trading platform is set to become the first to issue and trade tokenized assets in both the U.S. and the EU, and will operate under the new DLT pilot regime.

Twitter hijacks @X handle, offered user merch, trip to HQ as 'thank you'

The Twitter user who originally registered the @X handle had their profile forcibly changed after Elon Musk rebranded the social media platform to X.

Bitget exec discusses limitations and benefits of CTA AI trading bot

The bot is the third in a series of AI-trading initiatives launched this year.

Coinbase CEO to Americans: Urge reps to vote ‘yes’ on crypto regulatory clarity bills

Brian Armstrong said that voting yes to the bill would protect innovation and national security in the United States.

Crypto-friendly BlackRock starts ‘digital-first’ investment offering in India

As BlackRock reiterates that an optimal investment allocation should include 84.9% BTC, the firm has formed a major investment partnership in India.

Bitcoin bull run next? Bitfinex stablecoin ratio 'blows up' in 2023

A "major leading indicator" for Bitcoin is pointing the way toward a classic repeat of bullish BTC price phases, analysis says.

Worldcoin rebuts reports of lackluster takeup as Altman cites Japan queues

A video shared by Worldcoin co-founder Sam Altman shows a long queue of people in Japan reportedly waiting to collect $50 worth of Worldcoin (WLD) tokens or 25 WLD.

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