Ep. 58: Solving for Crypto Security Through Hardware Wallets with Thomas France of Ledger

As the blockchain ecosystem shifted from a Bitcoin-centric world to one that welcomed multiple coins, the demand for a hardware wallet that allows users to secure and manage crypto assets grew exponentially. Ledger became the go-to solution, and the startup scaled to sell 1M units in the last year.

Thomas France is the co-founder of Ledger, the leading security and infrastructure solution for cryptocurrencies and blockchain applications. He is also the co-founder of La Maison du Bitcoin (The Bitcoin Center), the first physical space dedicated to Bitcoin in Europe. Prior to his work in the crypto space, Thomas served as co-founder and COO of Prixing, a mobile shopping app sold to HighCo in 2013. He holds a Master of Science from Ecole National des Ponts et Chaussées.

Thomas sits down with us to explain why he was drawn to solving for Bitcoin security via crypto hardware wallets and how his startup grew out of The Bitcoin Center in Paris. He shares the basics of Ledger, discussing how its tools secure crypto assets in an offline environment. Thomas speaks to his initial interest in Bitcoin’s resistance to censorship and offers an overview of the crypto environment in France, the US and hubs around the world. Listen in as Thomas describes how Ledger exceeded expectations in 2017 as part of the toolkit in the cryptocurrency gold rush.

Connect with Thomas

• Ledger https://www.ledgerwallet.com/
• Ledger on Twitter https://twitter.com/ledgerhq
• The Bitcoin Center https://lamaisondubitcoin.fr/
• Thomas on Twitter https://twitter.com/totofrance
• Thomas on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/thomasfrance/

Resources

• American Kingpin: The Epic Hunt for the Criminal Mastermind Behind the Silk Road by Nick Bilton https://www.amazon.com/American-Kingpin-Criminal-Mastermind-Behind/dp/1591848148

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