By Rachael Bunyan For Mailonline
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The co-founder of a cryptocurrency company has died ‘unexpectedly’ at the age of 30.
Tiantian Kullander, who co-founded the digital asset company Amber Group, passed away in his sleep, a spokesman for his firm said.
The father-of-one, named in the Forbes prestigious 30-under-30 list in 2019, died ‘unexpectedly’ on November 23. No further details were provided surrounding the cause of death.
The Amber Group described Kullander – fondly known as ‘TT’ by friends and colleagues – as ‘instrumental to the founding of Amber and a pillar of our success’.
Tiantian Kullander, who co-founded the Hong Kong-digital asset company Amber Group, passed away in his sleep, a spokesman for his firm said
The father-of-one, named in the Forbes prestigious 30-under-30 list in 2019, died ‘unexpectedly’ on November 23. No further details were provided surrounding the cause of his death
Cryptocurrencies have tumbled in recent months, furthered by the bankruptcy of one of the world’s biggest digital assets exchanges.
Bitcoin is down a staggering 69 per cent on its 2021 value, with the markets in turmoil following the collapse of FTX.
FTX filed for bankruptcy protection in the highest-profile crypto implosion to date.
Its downfall came after traders withdrew $6billion from the platform in three days amid fears of widespread fraud.
Up to 80,000 British cryptocurrency traders are feared to have lost money in the collapse, while globally up to a million creditors face losses totaling billions of dollars.
Some enthusiasts see the slump as just a temporary blip but others think it may be the end of crypto’s meteoric rise.
‘He put his heart and soul into the company, in every stage of its growth. He led by example with his intellect, generosity, humility, diligence and creativity,’ the company said in a statement.
‘TT was a respected thought leader and widely recognised as a pioneer for the industry. His depth of knowledge, his willingness to collaborate and his desire to always help others benefited countless start-ups and individuals,’ the firm added.
The statement did not say where Kullander passed away.
Amber Group is based in Singapore and its website says it has a ‘presence in Athens, Geneva, Dubai, Hong Kong, Istanbul, London, Mexico City, Taipei, Tokyo, Vancouver, and Zurich’.
In a tribute posted to Twitter, Annabelle Huang, a managing partner at Amber Group, said: ‘Lost a dear friend who has changed my life, among many others, in ways he didn’t realize.’
She said Kullander was ‘the best of us – a rare mix of both a scholar and a degen – always generous with his time, uncompromisingly honest, and a fierce voice in our industry. His legacy will live on.’
Kullander, a former Morgan Stanley and Goldman Sachs trader, founded the Amber Group in 2017. The company was valued at $3billion (£2.4billion) in recent months.
The firm added in their statement: ‘TT was a devoted husband, a loving father and a fierce friend. His passing is a tragedy and our thoughts and prayers are with his family.
‘He is survived by his wife and their beloved son. We kindly request that you respect their privacy during this difficult time.’
Amber was recently valued at $3 billion but, like other crypto firms, been hurt by the plummeting price of cryptocurrencies.
The company cut 10 percent of its staff this year. Kullander told Bloomberg in September that it was ‘reducing in roles that are lower in priority given market conditions, and increasing headcount in roles that are higher priority’.
Amber Group said earlier this month that it was an ‘active trading participant’ on the collapsed firm FTX.
Annabelle Huang, a managing partner at Amber Group, said: ‘ Lost a dear friend who has changed my life, among many others, in ways he didn’t realize.’ She said Kullander was ‘the best of us – a rare mix of both a scholar and a degen – always generous with his time, uncompromisingly honest, and a fierce voice in our industry. His legacy will live on.’
In a statement on November 9, the company said: ‘While we have significantly reduced our exposure [to FTX] over the course of the week, we still have withdrawals that have yet to be processed.
‘However with strict exposure limits on individual trading venues, this represents <10% of our total trading capital. It does not pose a threat to our business operations or liquidity.’
The company’s main product is WhaleFin, a crypto trading platform.
Kullander’s death comes just weeks after another young cryptocurrency millionaire died.
Nikolai Mushegian, 29, drowned on a Puerto Rico beach after tweeting that he feared the CIA and Mossad were going to murder him.
Mushegian had a history of mental health problems and his family do not believe there was any foul play.
In a tweet hours before he died, he said: ‘CIA and Mossad and pedo elite are running some kind of sex trafficking entrapment blackmail ring out of Puerto Rico and Caribbean islands.
Kullander’s death comes just weeks after another young cryptocurrency millionaire died. Nikolai Mushegian, 29, (pictured) drowned on a Puerto Rico beach after tweeting that he feared the CIA and Mossad were going to murder him
‘They are going to frame me with a laptop planted by my ex [girlfriend] who was a spy. They will torture me to death.’
However, some in the cryptocurrency community in Puerto Rico are suspicious of the timing of his death.
He was discovered by a surfer in the water at Ashford Beach on October 29, fully clothed and carrying his wallet.
Published by Associated Newspapers Ltd
Part of the Daily Mail, The Mail on Sunday & Metro Media Group
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