The billionaire co-founder of Ethereum has announced he is quitting the world of cryptocurrency because of personal safety concerns.
Anthony Di Iorio, 48 - who has had his own security team since 2017 with guards following him wherever he goes - will sell blockchain firm Decentral Inc, sever ties with other start-ups he's involved with and focus on philanthropy instead.
The Canadian entrepreneur did not say whether he had been the target of specific security threats but explained he believed he would be 'safer' away from crypto.
Anthony Di Iorio, 48 - who has had his own security team since 2017 with guards following him wherever he goes - will sell blockchain firm Decentral Inc and sever ties with several start-ups
'It's got a risk profile that I am not too enthused about,' he told Bloomberg.
'I don't feel necessarily safe in this space. If I was focused on larger problems, I think I'd be safer.'
Di Iorio founded Ethereum in 2013 and its token, Ether, now has a market value of $225billion.
The tycoon him the headlines headlines in 2018 when he bought one of Canada's largest and most expensive condos to house Decentral's offices, after partly paying in digital money.
The $28million apartment in downtown Toronto's St. Regis Residences (formerly the Trump International Hotel and Tower) has 16,000 square feet of floorspace over the top three storeys and a wrap-around balcony.
Forbes put Di Iorio's net worth as high as $1billion, but he declined to comment on this or reveal the extent of his crypto holdings.
He plans to sell Toronto-based Decentral for 'hundreds of millions' and said he has already talked to potential investors.
Di Iorio founded Ethereum in 2013 and its token, Ether, now has a market value of $225billion
Di Iorio - who has previously served as chief digital officer at the Toronto
