What do you do at Coinme?
Director of Engineering
Before Coinme, what did you do?
I was working as a consultant for dev9, helping HomeAway.com build out their rental comparison tool. It was really fun — we used AI and spatial queries to score nearby units, allowing owners to see how much they could be potentially making by renting their unit out.
Why are you interested in cryptocurrency?
I started dabbling in cryptocurrency in 2011, as was immediately fascinated by the technology and the possibilities it could bring. The speculation side of it is interesting and all, but it could be worth pennies and I’d still want to be involved.
Why did you choose to work at Coinme?
I had worked with the founder of Coinme for years at a previous company and had been itching to start working full-time in cryptocurrency. So when he started a bitcoin ATM company and was looking for help, I jumped at the opportunity.
What about crypto ATMs do you think is important?
Accessibility for people who would otherwise not be able to take part. The ATMs are great because they allow people to spend as little as $1 to start playing in the world of cryptocurrency.
What are some stories or headlines that you follow about crypto?
I’m fascinated by the newest paradigm of coding using smart contracts. There are many tradeoffs to consider when the code is both open-source and immutable.
What do you think the future of cryptocurrency is?
It’s been said before, but I think the future of cryptocurrency is along the lines of the history of the internet. At first, nobody knew why it would be useful or even how to use it. Now it’s so ubiquitous it would seem strange for someone to purposely not use the internet.
Have you ever purchased anything with crypto?
I bought a rowing machine from overstock.com back in 2014 I believe. I’ve been a hodler ever since.
What are some resources (YouTubers, Twitter Accounts, etc.) that you recommend?
www.reddit.com/r/cryptocurrency
When I’m not immersed in the world of crypto, you can find me (hobbies, etc.):
On the ski hill at Mt. Baker.
You can find Russ on LinkedIn. For more information, visit coinme.com or follow Coinme on Twitter and Facebook.
