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| Category | Exchanges |
| Alma mater | University of Puget Sound |
| Known for | Being an early Bitcoin entrepreneur, espousing libertarianism, and founding crypto exchange platform |
Biography:
Erik Voorhees was among the first wave of crypto entrepreneurs, believing Bitcoin to be a necessary technology to separate money and state and create a free society. Since 2014, he has been the CEO of Switzerland-based cryptocurrency exchange platform Shapeshift. Prior to Shapeshift, Voorhees headed marketing efforts at BitInstant, one of the first crypto exchange services founded by Charlie Shrem. Voorhees also co-founded Bitcoin wallet, payment processor and broker Coinapult.
Erik Voorhees's 2019:
In January 2019, Shapeshift laid off one-third of its team, citing a confluence of reasons including a bear market and lack of product focus. In May, Voorhees came out to say that Bitcoin won’t achieve a trillion-dollar valuation without more hype cycle bubbles.
In July, the firm launched its new noncustodial crypto exchange platform designed to accommodate various cold storage wallets, including Shapeshift-owned KeepKey. In November, Shapeshift announced the launch of the FOX token to enable zero-fee trading on the platform.
What Cointelegraph expects for 2020:
The exchange landscape is difficult to navigate given the high cost of compliance and the shifting regulatory landscape. The dichotomy of custodial vs. noncustodial services has been a particular challenge with exchanges in the past, so we expect Shapeshift to remain nimble and adapt to the industry’s currents.