Bull Bitcoin: The Cypherpunk Bitcoin Exchange
Bull Bitcoin is breaking new ground in the cryptocurrency industry by proving that custodial, centralized, altcoin casinos are not the only path to success. The privacy-focused bitcoin exchange recently expanded its services to the entire eurozone, establishing a team in France just a year after venturing into Costa Rica.
The company prides itself on being the longest-running Bitcoin-only, self-custodial exchange. When users purchase Bitcoin through Bull Bitcoin, the funds go directly to their wallet, eliminating the need for the exchange to hold client funds. This aligns with the vision of founder Francis Pouliot, who values privacy and upholds the cypherpunk ethos.
Founded in Montreal in 2013, Bull Bitcoin’s unique approach involves users inputting a Bitcoin public address before purchase, ensuring that fiat deposits are swiftly converted to Bitcoin and sent directly to the user’s chosen wallet. The exchange has also been early adopters of innovative technologies such as the Lightning Network and Liquid Network, as well as integrating privacy-enhancing features like PayJoin.
Unlike many exchanges that focus on trading and speculation, Bull Bitcoin emphasizes using Bitcoin as a form of money. Users can pay bills, purchase real estate, and access a Bitcoin wallet app that continues to evolve with new features.
One distinguishing factor of Bull Bitcoin is its bitcoin-only approach, rejecting the sale of altcoins that dominate other exchanges. This strategy allows the company to deploy cutting-edge technologies ahead of competitors and maintain a lean team focused on one cryptocurrency.
Bull Bitcoin’s expansion into the European market comes at a time when regulatory pressure is prompting some cryptocurrency businesses to exit the region. However, the company views this as an opportunity to serve an underserved market and has navigated compliance challenges by adhering strictly to regulations while defending user privacy against government demands.
In addition to its European expansion, Bull Bitcoin has made inroads into Costa Rica, integrating with a popular mobile payments service to facilitate Bitcoin transactions in the local market. This move has led to increased adoption among retailers and a partnership with the Bitcoin Jungle community to educate Costa Ricans on the benefits of Bitcoin.
Despite the challenges of self-custody, Bull Bitcoin maintains a responsive customer support system, including a self-hosted chat service that connects users directly with knowledgeable staff members. The exchange also acquired Veriphi, a self-custody consulting firm, to offer users guidance on securely managing their Bitcoin holdings.
Bull Bitcoin’s commitment to self-hosted infrastructure was reinforced during the 2017 Bitcoin fork war, where the company took a stand against proposed changes to the Bitcoin protocol. By developing Cyphernode, a modular Bitcoin full-node microservices API server architecture, Bull Bitcoin ensured its independence and ability to choose the version of Bitcoin to support during contentious network upgrades.
Through its dedication to privacy, user empowerment, and adherence to cypherpunk values, Bull Bitcoin has solidified its reputation as a trailblazer in the cryptocurrency industry. As the company expands globally and continues to innovate, it remains a beacon of integrity and innovation in the world of Bitcoin exchanges.
