Charlie Lee
Charlie Lee is a highly influential figure within the cryptocurrency industry, best known as the creator of Litecoin, one of the earliest Bitcoin derivatives. Charlie’s expertise in computational technology and software development has played a pivotal role in his active involvement in shaping the crypto landscape. Under his leadership, Litecoin has maintained remarkable stability, sustainability, and longevity, distinguishing it from many cryptocurrencies that emerged alongside it and have since plummeted. He also serves as the Managing Director of Litecoin Foundation, a nonprofit founded to advance the altcoin for the good of society. Prior to Litecoin, Charlie served as Director of Engineering at Coinbase, one of the most popular digital currency exchanges. He served as a Software Engineer at tech giant, Google, where he was involved in developing Play Games, Chrome OS, and the mobile version of YouTube.
Charlie Lee Professional Experience / Academic History
Professional Experience
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Managing Director
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Director of Engineering
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Software Engineer
Academic History
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M.Eng., Computer Science
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B.S., Computer Science
Lee forked the Bitcoin blockchain and created the second-longest lasting crypto, Litecoin.
Under his leadership, Litecoin has remained one of the top cryptocurrencies in an exceptionally volatile market.
Although based on Bitcoin’s code, he designed Litecoin with a few significant differences that would not only differentiate his currency in the market but also correct certain flaws he had identified with Bitcoin.
He has always described Litecoin as a complement—not a competitor—to Bitcoin: as “silver to Bitcoin’s gold.”
Lee came across Bitcoin and blockchain technology in 2011 and quickly became fascinated with this idea.
He said that he was first introduced to crypto after reading an article about Silk Road, an online marketplace that accepted only Bitcoin as payment.
While at Google, Lee became interested in the blockchain industry and purchased BTC.
Following his meeting with Bitcoin developer Mike Hearn, he ventured into cryptocurrency mining.
FAIRBIX
His first project, Fairbix, was cloned from Tenebix. Fairbix did not fare so well from the beginning. About 8 million Fairbix were pre-mined initially.
It tanked within a few weeks of release. The cryptocurrency community and enthusiasts were not buying the idea behind Fairbix.
Weeks after the downfall of Fairbix, he struck gold with Litecoin.
CURRENT AFFILIATIONS
Board Member, BTCS
MEDIA & PUBLICATIONS
Lee has been featured or quoted in Yahoo! Finance, CNBC, CoinDesk, Cointelegraph, TechCrunch, and MarketWatch.
He has appeared as a guest on Real Vision.