Charlie Shrem (born November 25, 1989) is a renowned entrepreneur and a founding member of both the Bitcoin Foundation and BitInstant. Also, he is the founder of The Charlie Shrem Show, a podcast where he explores the backgrounds and personal stories of numerous cryptocurrency personalities. ^[1][2]

Early Life and Education

Charlie Shrem was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York. He is an alum of Yeshivah of Flatbush High School and graduated from City University of New York - Brooklyn College in 2012 with a Bachelor of Science in Economics and Finance. He also attended the Academy of Aviation in 2009 to earn the FAA Private Pilot license. ^[1][2]

Career

Bitcoin

Shrem began investing in Bitcoin in 2011 but eventually lost his stake when the Bitcoin service he was using crashed. This led him to co-found BitInstant with a friend Gareth Nelson. BitInstant played a crucial role in the early adoption of Bitcoin by facilitating faster and more efficient transactions. Charlie is also a founding member of the Bitcoin Foundation where he worked to promote Bitcoin and educate the public about its potential. ^[2][7]

BitInstant was initially a side project that needed to grow, so Shrem received a $10,000 loan from his mother. The company later received $125,000 from angel investor Roger Ver, followed by $1.5 million from a group of investors led by Winklevoss Capital Management in the fall of 2012. By 2013, BitInstant was processing about 30% of all Bitcoin transactions. The company operated from September 2011 until July 2013. During the rise of BitInstant, Shrem became the Vice Chair of the Bitcoin Foundation. ^[1][5]

In 2017, Shrem served as a Business Development Advisor at Changelly, an instant crypto exchange service. He was also the Chief Operating Officer at Jaxx Blockchain Interface, a multi-coin blockchain cryptocurrency wallet that syncs across all devices and provides users the ability to manage, send, receive, and exchange digital currencies while remaining in full control of their keys. ^[1][2]

In October 2017, Shrem founded Crypto.IQ, an advisory business with the aim to bring cryptocurrencies into the mainstream. ^[1]

Charlie Shrem is the President of Amalgamated Suncoast Portfolio LLC which started in 2019. Amalgamated Suncoast manages and supports family offices and its companies. Its mission is to have multiple self-sufficient businesses that employ residents and empower them to run the businesses like their own. This is done by investing in digital asset companies, purchasing and operating rental real estate, hard money lending, and venture capital. ^[1][2]

In September 2020, Shrem joined InvestorPlace as a Senior Economic Analyst. InvestorPlace is a financial publisher that publishes detailed research and recommendations for self-directed investors, financial advisors, and money managers. ^[12]

In December 2021, he became a General Partner at Druid Ventures, a $13M early-stage Bitcoin and web3 fund focused on infrastructure and interoperability. ^[13]

The Charlie Shrem Show

Shrem hosts the podcast "The Charlie Shrem Show," where he delves into the histories and personal tales of various cryptocurrency personalities. This podcast, hosted on YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcast, etc. further establishes him as a thought leader in the cryptocurrency space. ^[14]

Legal Challenges

In 2014 Shrem faced legal issues related to BitInstant's operations. Shrem was arrested and sentenced to two years in prison for his indirect involvement with the transmission of $1 million in Bitcoin to the Silk Road black marketplace. ^[5][10]

In 2012, Shrem assisted Robert Faiella with trading more than $1 million in cash for Bitcoin holdings that would then be transferred via trade to Silk Road customers. Faiella pleaded guilty to operating an unlicensed money-transmitting business in late 2014 and was sentenced to two years in prison. ^[6][10]

During Shrem's sentencing, U.S. District Judge Jed Rakoff ordered Shrem to forfeit nearly $1 million. Shrem officially pleaded guilty in September 2014 to aiding and abetting an unlicensed money-transmitting business. He remained under curfew and probation through March 2015. He was then imprisoned from late March 2015 through June 2016. ^[3][9]

Charlie Shrem vs. the Winklevoss Twins

In 2018, Cameron and Tyler Winklevoss filed a lawsuit against Charlie Shrem, accusing him of stealing over $30 million in Bitcoin from them. Shrem, known as the Winklevoss twins' crypto advisor, reportedly purchased Bitcoin on their behalf. The twins alleged they were shorted 5,000 bitcoins and received only a portion of what they were owed. The case was settled confidentially. ^[4][10]

Media Appearances and Film Production

Charlie has been featured in documentaries like "The Rise and Rise of Bitcoin" and "Banking on Bitcoin." He has also extended his expertise to the film industry as an executive producer for movies like "After All," "The Vance Institute," "Trauma Therapy: Psychosis," and "Ask Me to Dance." ^[2]