Paolo Ardoino is an Italian computer scientist. He is the Chief Executive Officer of Tether,[1] Chief Technology Officer (CTO) of Bitfinex, and Chief Strategy Officer of Holepunch.[2]

Paolo Ardoino
Born
Italy
NationalityItalian
EducationUniversity of Genoa
OccupationComputer scientist
Known forTether and Bitfinex

Early life and education

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Ardoino began coding at the age of eight. He obtained a bachelor's degree in Computer Science from the University of Genoa.

Career

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After completing his education, Ardoino worked on multiple research projects involving cybersecurity and cryptography for military applications.[1]

In 2014, Ardoino joined Bitfinex as Senior Software Developer. Two years later in 2016, he transitioned to the role of CTO.[3]

In 2017, Ardoino became chief technology officer of Tether.[1] He later became the chief executive of Tether in 2023. Under Ardoino, Tether's flagship stablecoin, USDT, has grown to become the first and largest United States dollar-backed stablecoin by market capitalization,[4] and Bitfinex is the world's second largest exchange by number of Bitcoin held in its digital wallet.[5]

In 2022, Ardoino founded Holepunch, an open-source platform designed for building P2P products with computer scientist Mathias Buus.[2]

Under Ardoino, Tether invested approximately $2.5 billion in sustainable energy and technology sectors, while leaving reserves untouched. Tether invested $200 million in Blackrock Neurotech, an American brain implant company, taking a majority stake.[6]

In March 2022, Ardoino worked with Michele Foletti, the mayor of Lugano, Switzerland,[7] to accept Tether and other cryptocurrencies for municipal payments.

Under Ardoino, Tether has supported El Salvador's Volcano Energy renewable power project[8] aimed at supporting the country's Bitcoin adoption, which aims to raise up to $1 billion.

Ardoino has also led Tether to invest in the growth of renewable energy and sustainable Bitcoin mining in Uruguay.[9][10]

References

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  1. ^ a b c Howcroft, Elizabeth (2023-10-13). "Stablecoin Tether appoints chief technology officer Ardoino as CEO". Reuters. Retrieved 2024-06-12.
  2. ^ a b "Connecting Asia's startup ecosystem". Tech in Asia. Retrieved 2024-06-12.
  3. ^ "CityAM". 2021-02-05. Retrieved 2024-06-12.
  4. ^ Browne, Ryan (2023-05-17). "Tether buys bitcoin with a portion of its net profit to back USDT stablecoin". CNBC. Retrieved 2024-06-12.
  5. ^ "As banks buy up bitcoins, who else are the 'Bitcoin whales'?". BBC Home. 2024-03-01. Retrieved 2024-06-12.
  6. ^ Howcroft, Elizabeth (2024-04-29). "Crypto company Tether invests $200 mln in brain-chip maker Blackrock Neurotech". Reuters. Retrieved 2024-06-12.
  7. ^ Benrath, Bastian (2023-12-06). "Taxpayers in Swiss City Can Settle Bills With Bitcoin, Tether". Bloomberg. Retrieved 2024-02-26.
  8. ^ "El Salvador Bitcoin city planned at base of Conchagua volcano". BBC Home. 2021-11-21. Retrieved 2024-06-12.
  9. ^ Browne, Ryan (2023-05-30). "Stablecoin giant Tether to mine bitcoin in Uruguay using renewable energy". CNBC. Retrieved 2024-06-12.
  10. ^ Bhardwaj, Shashank (2023-05-31). "Tether To Use Renewable Energy For Bitcoin Mining In Uruguay". Forbes India. Retrieved 2024-06-12.