Ex-Mt. Gox CEO Unveils New Bitcoin-Related Business: Here’s What It Is

As a seasoned crypto investor with a knack for history and a keen eye for innovation, I find myself intrigued by Mark Karpelès’ latest venture, EllipX. While his past with Mt. Gox casts a long shadow, it is undeniable that the crypto space has evolved significantly since then, and the potential of this new project cannot be ignored.


Previously CEO of collapsed Mt. Gox cryptocurrency exchange, Mark Karpelès, has returned to the Bitcoin world with a fresh endeavor called EllipX. In a post on X today, he announced this new venture, revealing the EllipX Wallet – a tool designed to enhance security and accessibility in crypto management.

Karpelès New Bitcoin Venture

On August 6th, news about EllipX was initially shared on platform X, inviting the cryptocurrency community to track their developments. Today, Karpelès has given a more in-depth perspective of their first product via a comprehensive blog post. The EllipX Wallet is presented as an innovative tool using Multi-Party Computation (MPC) to bolster security by dispersing a user’s private key among various guardians: the user, their device, and EllipX’s secure system.

The wallet employs Threshold Signature Scheme (TSS), a sophisticated cryptographic technique for handling digital signatures. This innovation enables several entities to jointly authenticate transactions without revealing their entire private key, thereby reducing the chances of theft or loss. According to EllipX’s blog post, this development represents a substantial advancement in our goal to create crypto solutions that not only shape the future but also make it user-friendly for everyone.

EllipX Wallet is known as the world’s initial mobile crypto wallet that focuses on users, utilizing MPC technology to do away with conventional seed phrases usually needed for wallet recovery. At its debut, it will support Ethereum (ETH), and later plans include adding Bitcoin (BTC), Bitcoin Cash (BCH), ERC-20 tokens, and other assets.

As a seasoned crypto enthusiast who has navigated the complexities of digital currencies for years, I find the design of this wallet to be truly innovative. Its ability to handle multiple cryptocurrencies, facilitate fee-free transactions, and interact with decentralized applications (dApps) securely through an upcoming in-app browser is a game changer. This feature-rich wallet has the potential to significantly streamline my crypto management process and make my digital life easier. I’m excited to see how this development will shape the future of cryptocurrency usage.

An essential feature of the EllipX Wallet is its emphasis on ensuring security. This is achieved by leveraging the hardware security of the user’s device, alongside biometric data, and EllipX’s proprietary authentication methods to protect private keys. As Karpelès put it, “Our goal is to make cryptocurrency more accessible and secure. The starting point for this journey is the EllipX Wallet, a Multi-Party Computation (MPC) wallet that divides private keys into three segments: yours, your device’s, and EllipX’s.”

Community Reaction

As a seasoned cryptocurrency enthusiast with a deep understanding of the industry’s complexities and challenges, I can empathize with Mark Karpelès’ recent venture. His career was significantly impacted by the collapse of Mt. Gox in 2014, an event that left an indelible mark on my own journey through the crypto world. The massive hack that resulted in the loss of 850,000 Bitcoins not only affected Karpelès personally but also tarnished the global perception of cryptocurrency security.

Following the dramatic collapse of Mt. Gox, the responses from the community varied. Some expressed their hopes for his business to flourish, while others were less supportive. Remarks such as “Good luck Mark, may the irony not be lost on you” and “You certainly have guts, I’ll grant you that” indicate both admiration and skepticism.

Significantly, Mark Karpelès held a pivotal and contentious position in the downfall of Mt. Gox, which was previously the biggest bitcoin exchange, handling about 70% of all Bitcoin transactions globally. Under his management, Mt. Gox faced numerous security issues. Karpelès claimed that the 2014 hack was due to a software glitch; however, investigations hinted at lax security measures and potential internal dishonesty.

As a researcher looking back at 2015 events, I was involved in investigating the case of Mt. Gox, the now-defunct bitcoin exchange. The founder, Karpelès, was apprehended in Japan for allegations involving embezzlement and data tampering. This led to a trial where he was convicted of altering financial records but received a suspended sentence. However, his involvement in the fall of Mt. Gox remains contentious, with some attributing it to negligence rather than malicious intent.

At press time, BTC traded at $61,068.

Ex-Mt. Gox CEO Unveils New Bitcoin-Related Business: Here’s What It Is

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2024-08-24 00:12