Rolling Stone calls DNA co-founder “The Hippie King of Cryptocurrency”
Author Neil Strauss does a deep dive on Brock Pierce for the magazine
This is published by DNA, the world’s premiere crypto venture fund. Stay in touch with us on Telegram or subscribe to our newsletter.
Neil Strauss just published a deep dive on DNA co-founder Brock Pierce in Rolling Stone. Some excerpts below:
On Pierce’s widespread involvement in the blockchain space:
In a world in which seniority is measured by the price you bought your first Bitcoin at, Pierce has been around since less than a penny. He is the chairman of the Bitcoin Foundation; co-founder of one of the first blockchain venture funds (Blockchain Capital); co-founder of a prominent crypto advisory firm, DNA; part of the team behind the first-ever ICO (initial coin offering); and an early investor in some of cryptocurrency’s biggest coins and tokens, including EOS (currently the fifth-largest crypto-currency) and Tether (the 10th-largest), which is meant to stay stable at the price of a dollar.
Bruce Fenton, a crypto economic adviser and leading figure on the scene, describes Pierce as one of the community’s most unsung connectors: “In one way, Brock is this larger-than-life and extremely colorful character. In another way, he’s extremely quiet behind the scenes and doesn’t take a lot of credit for what he’s done. There’s hundreds of millions of revenue out there because Brock was the seed that brought people together. We’re talking about stacks and stacks of people.”
“There’s hundreds of millions of revenue out there because Brock was the seed that brought people together. We’re talking about stacks and stacks of people.” -Bruce Fenton, a crypto economic adviser
On Pierce’s involvement with DNA:
By then, Pierce was starting companies at an accelerated pace. He further ramped up his deals per minute by co-founding DNA, which many of the big players in crypto come through at some point for investment or advice. Tuesday pitch meetings* in its Santa Monica offices, where startup coins and blockchain businesses seek early investors, have become a hotbed of enthusiasts who are busy networking themselves into new deals, ideas and relationships. Just like in Puerto Rico, Pierce focused the energy and excitement around this disruption into a single location. “I don’t really have to do much other than show up, and then tell a few of these stories that are inspiring,” he says. “If you have a bunch of conversations and entertain everybody and be a great storyteller, people tend to say yes.”
* DNA is putting our Tuesday “Showcase Days” on hold for the next few months since we are moving offices and traveling extensively. We’ll be back soon with a new program. To find out when that happens, stay in touch with us on Telegram or subscribe to our newsletter.
Many of the big players in crypto come through [DNA] at some point for investment or advice.
On his role as “general community nurturer”:
And here you have all the sides of Brock Pierce: visionary and madman, idealist and opportunist, entertainer and businessman, magician and hedonist, narcissist and community builder. “He goes around helping people — he’s a general community nurturer,” says Patrick Byrne, president of Overstock, who’s working on a project that uses the blockchain to combat world poverty by granting and securing property rights. Will O’Brien, an adviser in Blockchain Capital, who has hired Pierce as a consultant, says, “I’ve seen many interactions when Brock makes a promise to an entrepreneur, and he’s followed through every time. That’s integrity.”
“I’ve seen many interactions when Brock makes a promise to an entrepreneur, and he’s followed through every time. That’s integrity.” -Will O’Brien, an adviser in Blockchain Capital
On Pierce’s plan to give away a billion dollars to charity:
Just three days earlier, Pierce was listed number nine on Forbes’ first-ever List of Cryptocurrency’s Wealthiest People, with his net worth estimated as high as $1 billion. The math isn’t hard to do: One billion minus one billion equals . . . “I’ve committed to giving away everything I have,” Pierce tells the hushed group in his gravelly, resonant voice.
On the magic of Pierce and how he makes things happen for others:
And that’s the magic of Pierce: In his own optimistic, forward-driving, chaotic way, he makes things happen for those around him, whether they work for charities or hedge funds — or never worked a day in their lives…“You know the concept of compounding interest?” Pierce asks after they leave. “I’m into compounding impact.” He pauses to let the words land. “This is not yet measurable by anything I’ve ever seen, but I believe this is a universal truth, one of the great secrets: The more you give, the more you get.”
“You know the concept of compounding interest? I’m into compounding impact.” -Brock Pierce
Related:
- Brock Pierce: My criteria for investing
- DNA’s Brock Pierce on Puerto Rico: “When you experience great loss, it creates an opportunity to upgrade”
- DNA cofounders Scott Walker and Brock Pierce featured in Entrepreneur Magazine piece on ICOs
- NY Times profiles “Crypto Utopia” being built by DNA founder Brock Pierce in Puerto Rico
