Bitcoin bull Mircea Popescu reported drowned off Costa Rica
23:25, 28 June 2021
Crypto circles were shocked by news of the apparent drowning death of Bitcoin billionaire Mircea Popescu off the coast of Costa Rica.
It was speculated that Popescu’s Bitcoin holdings were worth well over $1bn, and he claimed he had control of over one million coins. It is perhaps unsurprising that Popescu was renowned for his view that “Bitcoin is fate”.
A local Costa Rican newspaper said Popescu entered the Pacific at Jacó Beach around 8:30am on 23 June, and “was swept away by the current and died on the spot”. Lifeguards spoke to the press of the dangers of swimming in those waters.
Judicial agency investigation
Popescu’s death is currently being investigated by Costa Rica’s Judicial Investigation Agency, although the deceased man’s identity remained unconfirmed late Monday.
A Romanian by residency, Popescu was 41.
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Ferocious Bitcoin advocate
The founder of exchange company MPEx, and a ferocious advocate for Bitcoin’s advancement through his prolific blog and support of others in the industry, Popescu was described as a mix of unapologetic, flawed man and a hard-to-pin-down myth by Bitcoin Magazine editor Pete Rizzo, writing for Nasdaq. Rizzo added: “His influence on the Bitcoin conversation is – and was – undeniable.”
Rizzo also took to Twitter with a series of quotes made by Popescu over his decade at the top of the crypto conversation, including this from 2011: “Bitcoin is about the most important project of the human species at the moment. That is all”.
There was much speculation following the announcement of Popescu’s death as to whether access to his Bitcoin holdings died with him.
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