The Key Decision of the Two Brothers: From Facebook Lawsuit to Crypto Assets Pioneer

The story of the Winklevoss twins begins in Greenwich, Connecticut. Born on August 21, 1981, Cameron and Tyler are identical twins, with the only difference being one is left-handed and the other is right-handed. They displayed exceptional athletic talent and business acumen from a young age, teaching themselves HTML at the age of 13 to build websites for local businesses.

During their time at Harvard University, the two brothers not only achieved impressive results in rowing but also came up with the idea of creating a social network exclusively for college students. In 2003, they approached Mark Zuckerberg to assist in developing their project HarvardConnection. However, Zuckerberg ultimately launched his own platform, Facebook, leading to a four-year legal dispute.

In 2008, when the mediator proposed a settlement of 65 million dollars, the Winklevoss brothers made a life-changing decision: they chose Facebook stock instead of cash. This seemingly risky choice paid off handsomely when Facebook went public in 2012, with their stock value soaring to nearly 500 million dollars.

Despite setbacks in Silicon Valley investments, the two brothers made another key decision in 2013. They invested $11 million in Bitcoin, which was then relatively unknown, purchasing about 100,000 coins. This move made them among the first confirmed Bitcoin billionaires in the world when the price of Bitcoin reached $20,000 in 2017.

Not satisfied with merely holding Bitcoin, the Winklevoss brothers began to build a Crypto Assets ecosystem. They established Winklevoss Capital to provide funding support for numerous blockchain and Crypto Assets projects. In 2014, they founded the Gemini exchange, one of the first regulated Crypto Assets exchanges in the United States.

The two brothers have been dedicated to promoting the mainstream adoption and regulatory compliance of Crypto Assets. They have applied to the SEC for a Bitcoin ETF multiple times, and although they were initially rejected, they laid the groundwork for later approval. In 2024, they each donated 1 million dollars worth of Bitcoin to a presidential candidate, demonstrating their support for crypto-friendly policies.

As of now, Forbes estimates that the net worth of the two brothers is approximately $9 billion, most of which comes from their holdings of about 70,000 coins. The Gemini exchange has submitted an IPO application, marking an important step for Crypto Assets into the traditional financial market.

The story of the Winklevoss brothers showcases their exceptional insight and adventurous spirit. From the Facebook lawsuit to investing in Bitcoin, they have consistently made the right decisions at crucial moments, turning setbacks into opportunities. They not only successfully anticipated the potential of Crypto Assets but also actively participated in building the infrastructure that supports this emerging industry.