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Twitter has a new crypto team

Tess Rinearson will lead the team in developing blockchain and decentralized technology, building on top of the Bluesky effort.

Twitter
What happens if social networks start charging? Twitter’s about to find out.
Image: Protocol

Twitter is launching an official crypto team, with blockchain expert Tess Rinearson at the helm. This is the latest in Twitter's various overtures into the blockchain space, including tipping with Bitcoin and verifying NFTs.


Given Jack Dorsey's passion for bitcoin, the move is unsurprising. The Twitter CEO, who also runs payments company Square, announced an expansion of Square's crypto efforts in June. "If I were not at Square or Twitter I'd be working on bitcoin," Dorsey said at a Miami bitcoin conference. "If it needed more help than Square and Twitter, I would leave them for Bitcoin. But I think both companies have a role to play."

With the launch of a focused crypto team, Dorsey's vision for a blockchain-friendly Twitter is crystallizing. In a message to Protocol, Twitter said crypto aligns with the platform's other big goals, including creator monetization and decentralized social media.

An earlier effort, Project Bluesky, is the company's effort to research ways to decentralize social media. Rinearson said she'll be working closely with that team in her announcement.

Rinearson has worked in blockchain technology since 2015, when she started as a software engineer for Chain, a blockchain technology company. Later, she worked at the Interchain Foundation as VP of Engineering.

She announced that her new team is hiring in engineering and product. Web3, the term describing a decentralized vision of the internet, is all the rage and considered an appealing project for top tech talent.

Lizzy Lawrence

Lizzy Lawrence ( @LizzyLaw_) is a reporter at Protocol, covering tools and productivity in the workplace. She's a recent graduate of the University of Michigan, where she studied sociology and international studies. She served as editor in chief of The Michigan Daily, her school's independent newspaper. She's based in D.C., and can be reached at llawrence@protocol.com.

cryptocurrencytwittertess rinearsonmovesblockchain
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