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| Place of birth | Buffalo, U.S. |
| Place of residence | Puerto Rico |
| Category | Media, Investing |
| Alma mater | SUNY, Syracuse University |
| Known for | Winning a $75.8M lawsuit against a crypto fraudster |
Biography:
Michael Terpin is a blockchain investor and the founder/CEO of Transform Group, a global public relations, blockchain advisory and events firm that has served over 250 clients in the blockchain space, including more than 30% of the CoinMarketCap 100 companies and foundations. In addition, Terpin co-founded BitAngels, an angel investor network for digital currency startups. Terpin is also known for founding Marketwire, which was one of the world’s leading business newswires and which has since been merged with GlobeNewswire.
In 2018, Terpin lost $24 million worth of cryptocurrency due to a SIM-swap scam. Terpin sued AT&T in August 2018. It was reported on May 10, 2019, that Terpin won $75.8 million in a civil case against 21-year-old Nichola Truglia, who defrauded him of his crypto assets. Terpin holds an master's of fine art from SUNY at Buffalo and dual bachelor’s degrees in journalism and English from Syracuse University, where he serves on the board of advisors for the top-ranked Newhouse School.
Michael Terpin's 2019:
2019 saw resolutions in Terpin's suits stemming from the SIM-swapping case. In May, Terpin won $75.8 million in a civil case against the fraudster responsible for the theft of millions in crypto assets. In late July 2019, a judge dismissed 13 of the 16 claims in Terpin's $224 million lawsuit against telecom giant AT&T, citing a lack of sufficient evidence that shows the company's culpability in the theft.
What Cointelegraph expects for 2020:
We believe that cases like Terpin's will become more and more common as the crypto economy grows. We hope that telecom providers such as AT&T and regulatory organizations like the Federal Communication Commission look at the rising theft of entire fortunes and enact needed change, guiding and implementing best practices to help secure our digital assets. While some phones on the horizon will be built with hardware wallets, we expect the majority of operational security to be a joint effort between individuals and telecom providers.