The co-founder of a cryptocurrency company has died ‘unexpectedly’ at the age of 30.
Tiantian Kullander, who co-founded the digital asset company Amber Group, passed away in his sleep, a spokesman for his firm said.
The father-of-one, named in the Forbes prestigious 30-under-30 list in 2019, died ‘unexpectedly’ on November 23. No further details were provided surrounding the cause of death.
The Amber Group described Kullander – fondly known as ‘TT’ by friends and colleagues – as ‘instrumental to the founding of Amber and a pillar of our success’.
‘He put his heart and soul into the company, in every stage of its growth. He led by example with his intellect, generosity, humility, diligence and creativity,’ the company said in a statement.
‘TT was a respected thought leader and widely recognised as a pioneer for the industry. His depth of knowledge, his willingness to collaborate and his desire to always help others benefited countless start-ups and individuals,’ the firm added.
The statement did not say where Kullander passed away.
Amber Group is based in Singapore and its website says it has a ‘presence in Athens, Geneva, Dubai, Hong Kong, Istanbul, London, Mexico City, Taipei, Tokyo, Vancouver, and Zurich’.
In a tribute posted to Twitter, Annabelle Huang, a managing partner at Amber Group, said: ‘Lost a dear friend who has changed my life, among many others, in ways he didn’t realize.’
She said Kullander was ‘the best of us – a rare mix of both a scholar and a degen – always generous with his time, uncompromisingly honest, and a fierce voice in our industry. His legacy will live on.’
Kullander, a former Morgan Stanley and Goldman Sachs trader, founded the Amber Group in 2017. The company was valued at $3billion (£2.4billion) in recent months.
The firm added in their statement: ‘TT was a devoted husband, a loving father and a fierce friend. His passing is a tragedy and our thoughts and prayers are with his family.
‘He is survived by his wife and their beloved son. We kindly request that you respect their privacy during this difficult time.’
Amber was recently valued at $3 billion but, like other crypto firms, been hurt by the plummeting price of cryptocurrencies.
The company remembered him as a “respected thought leader and widely recognized pioneer for the industry.”
“His depth of knowledge, his willingness to collaborate and his desire to always help others benefited countless start-ups and individuals. His insights and creativity inspired many projects, people and communities.
“We lost a great partner and a true friend in TT and words cannot express our sorrow at this time. TT’s legacy will live on and we will work even harder to make Amber the category-defining leader of our industry, as this was TT’s ambition and dream.”
Details surrounding his death are still sketchy, save for the fact that he died in his sleep.
May his soul rest in peace!
