When someone in his early twenties is called a millionaire, people often call him a rich heir. But that was not the case with Jeremy Gardner, a 25-year old entrepreneur from San Francisco. Today, he is one of the cryptocurrency millionaires who made their money by taking a chance investing in Bitcoin.
How did he do it?
In an interview with Business Insider, Jeremy Gardner revealed that it all started in 2013 when a friend offered him Bitcoin in exchange for cash. Since he was curious about the controversy surrounding the Silk Road marketplace, he bought Bitcoin.
Before long, Gardner realized that Bitcoin had real potential, and he converted his life savings into Bitcoin. Now, he calls himself a "Bitcoin booster" with almost all of his savings net worth in Bitcoin.
Gardner further explains:
"There was this realization that I could — with just an internet connection— exchange value with anyone in the world who also has an internet connection... No longer did I have to rely on a centralized intermediary, a troll under the bridge, such as a bank or a government."
Good fortune, amplified
Gardner didn’t merely sit back and watch his investments grow. He began to take an active role, launching startups and support communities for cryptocurrencies.
He started Augur, which is a prediction market based on the Ethereum Blockchain. His company raised $5.3 million.
He also started the Blockchain Education Network in 2014. This network is a platform where people in universities across the globe can explore the Bitcoin Blockchain with others.
Today, Gardner's net worth continues to increase rapidly. Even so, the volatility sometimes scares him:
"It's obviously cool when it happens very quickly, but every time it goes up really quickly, I expect it to go down very quickly ... I'm in this for the long term."