| File:BitFlyer-logo.png | |
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Cryptocurrency |
| Founded | January 9, 2014 |
| Founder | Yuzo Kano |
| Headquarters | Tokyo , Japan |
Area served | Worldwide |
Key people | Kimihiro Mine, Chief Executive Officer |
| Website | bitflyer.com |
bitFlyer is a private company headquartered in Tokyo, Japan and founded in 2014. It operates one of the largest cryptocurrency exchanges with 2.5 million users[1][2] and develops other crypto-related technology.
History
editbitFlyer was founded in 2014 by Yuzo Kano, a former derivatives and bonds trader from Goldman Sachs.[3] bitFlyer's cryptocurrency exchange was launched in April 2014, a few months before the once market-dominant bitcoin exchange, Mt. Gox, went out of business.[4]
By February 2016, it had 100,000 users and was processing about 7 billion yen ($64 million USD) in monthly cryptocurrency transactions, making it the largest Bitcoin exchange in Japan.[5] It raised about $36 million USD in venture capital over three funding rounds.[6] The company established partnerships with retailers, mobile app companies, and payment processors to facilitate smartphone-based cryptocurrency payments at retail locations.[7] bitFlyer also secured regulatory approval to sell cryptocurrency to institutional investors.[8]
bitFlyer expanded internationally to the United States in November 2017 and to Europe in January 2018.[6] By 2018, the company was processing 80 percent of bitcoin transactions in Japan and had grown to 150 employees.[6][9] In 2018, bitFlyer was one of six exchanges ordered to improve their procedures against money laundering, causing bitFlyer to temporarily suspend services while it implemented new systems.[10]
In 2019, bitFlyer created a subsidiary focused on blockchain technology and services.[11]
Services
editUsers of the bitFlyer exchange can buy/sell cryptocurrency with each other, or buy/sell directly with bitFlyer itself.[4]
bitFlyer's first service was its cryptocurrency exchange, which was initially focused on bitcoin.[9] The company later added futures contracts and bitcoin derivatives to the exchange.[1][6] As of 2017, 75 percent of transactions on bitFlyer are for derivatives, where users make investments based on their prediction of future bitcoin prices.[12]
bitFlyer first introduced its blockchain technology, called Miyabi, in 2016.[13] In 2019, bitFlyer added other cryptocurrencies to its exchange, such as Ethereum and Litecoin.[14] The company also added features to pay for goods at retailers using cryptocurrency and to buy cryptocurrency using credit cards or points from loyalty programs.[14][15] In June 2020, bitFlyer introduced a crypto-based voting service called bvote.[16][17] The company also introduced a blockchain consulting arm.[18]
References
edit- ^ a b Popper, Nathaniel (September 1, 2017). "Bitcoin Bug Bites Japan and South Korea as China Clamps Down". The New York Times. Retrieved June 2, 2020.
- ^ Pirus, Benjamin (March 14, 2020). "Cryptocurrency News From Japan: March 8-14 in Review". Cointelegraph. Retrieved June 11, 2020.
- ^ Williams-Grut, Oscar (January 24, 2018). "Japan's biggest bitcoin exchange saw $150 billion traded in less than 2 months: 'December was certainly an interesting month'". INSIDER. Retrieved June 3, 2020.
- ^ a b Alpeyev, Pavel (July 22, 2014). "Ex-Goldman Trader's Bitcoin Exchange to Fill Mt. Gox Void". Bloomberg. Retrieved February 6, 2020.
- ^ "ビットコイン取引所大手bitFlyerが貫く「経営の王道」". Forbes JAPAN（フォーブス ジャパン） (in Japanese). February 25, 2016. Retrieved June 2, 2020.
- ^ a b c d "Japan bitcoin bourse group stages Europe expansion". Financial Times. January 23, 2018. Retrieved June 3, 2020.
- ^ Hoshi, Akio (April 5, 2017). "ビットコイン決済が身近に、bitFlyerがビックカメラ2店、Coincheckが26万店展開のAirレジで". TechCrunch Japan (in Japanese). Retrieved June 10, 2020.
- ^ Ponciano, Jonathan (November 28, 2017). "With Regulatory Approval, BitFlyer Launches U.S. Crypto Exchange Targeting Institutional Traders". Forbes. Retrieved June 10, 2020.
- ^ a b Nakamura, Yuji; Sagiike, Hideki; Hyuga, Takahiko (May 10, 2018). "Ex-Goldman trader Yuzo Kano is hiring old rivals to build a cryptocurrency empire in Tokyo". Bloomberg. Retrieved June 2, 2020.
- ^ Varshney, Neer (June 22, 2018). "Japan's biggest cryptocurrency exchange suspends new registrations amidst regulatory clampdown". Hard Fork | The Next Web. Retrieved June 10, 2020.
- ^ Skinner, Celeste (May 24, 2019). "bitFlyer Sets Up Blockchain Subsidiary, Names Yuzo Kano as CEO". Finance Magnates.
- ^ "Bitcoin feeding frenzy fuelled by 15 times leverage, says exchange". Financial Times. December 10, 2017. Retrieved June 10, 2020.
- ^ Hoshi, Akio (December 21, 2016). "bitFlyerがブロックチェーン技術Miyabiを発表、新アルゴリズムとスマートコントラクト搭載". TechCrunch Japan (in Japanese). Retrieved June 2, 2020.
- ^ a b Cant, Joeri (December 6, 2019). "BitFlyer's New 'Instant Buy' Feature Lets Users Buy Crypto With Cards or Transfers". Cointelegraph (in Bosnian). Retrieved June 3, 2020.
- ^ 拓史, 吉田 (October 12, 2016). "Eコマースはビットコイン普及の呼び水になるか：bitFlyer加納代表". DIGIDAY［日本版］ (in Japanese). Retrieved June 2, 2020.
- ^ "ビットフライヤー、株主総会オンライン向け投票アプリ". 日本経済新聞 電子版 (in Japanese). June 9, 2020. Retrieved June 11, 2020.
- ^ "Japan's BitFlyer launches blockchain voting solution for shareholder meetings - enterprise blockchain". Ledger Insights - enterprise blockchain. June 10, 2020. Retrieved June 11, 2020.
- ^ McIntosh, Rachel (April 27, 2020). "Japanese Crypto Exchange BitFlyer Launches Blockchain Consulting Service". Finance Magnates. Retrieved June 10, 2020.