BitMEX operator grants $60,000 to bitcoin core developer

Bitcoin • July 12, 2019, 7:30AM EDT
The Block

HDR Global Trading, owner and operator of cryptocurrency derivatives exchange BitMEX, has awarded $60,000 to a bitcoin core developer.

Announcing the news on Friday, HDR said Michael Ford (aka "fanquake" on Github) has been a bitcoin contributor since 2012 and has recently been announced as a maintainer for the bitcoin core software project.

The work of coders is “difficult, demanding, and often thankless,” said Sam Reed, CTO of HDR Global Trading and co-founder of BitMEX, adding: “We believe it is the duty of corporations to give back to the projects from which they benefit – and from which their very business model stems.”

Back in May, HDR also donated an undisclosed amount to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s digital currency initiative in support of research.

“Our donation into research and development is about ensuring that the network is more robust. A stronger Bitcoin network will be beneficial to all,” Reed said at the time.