As Kent Halliburton stood in a toilet on the Rosewood Resort in central Amsterdam, hundreds of miles from dwelling, working his fingers by way of an envelope crammed with 10,000 euros in crisp banknotes, he began to marvel what he had gotten himself into.
Halliburton is the cofounder and CEO of Sazmining, an organization that operates bitcoin mining {hardware} on behalf of shoppers—a mannequin often called “mining-as-a-service.” Halliburton is predicated in Peru, however Sazmining runs mining {hardware} out of third-party information facilities throughout Norway, Paraguay, Ethiopia, and america.
As Halliburton tells it, he had flown to Amsterdam the day gone by, August 5, to satisfy Even and Maxim, two representatives of a rich Monaco-based household. The household workplace had supplied to buy a whole lot of bitcoin mining rigs from Sazmining—round $4 million value—which the corporate would set up at a facility at present below development in Ethiopia. Earlier than finalizing the deal, the household workplace had requested to satisfy Halliburton in particular person.
When Halliburton arrived on the Rosewood Resort, he discovered Even and Maxim perched in a sales space. They struck him as playboy, high-roller varieties—notably Maxim, who wore a tan three-piece swimsuit and had a extremely manicured look, his lengthy darkish hair parted down the center. A Rolex protruded from the cuff of his sleeve.
Over a three-course lunch—ceviche with a roe garnish, Chilean sea bass, and cherry cake—they mentioned the contours of the deal and traded particulars about their respective backgrounds. Even was talkative and jocular, telling tales about blowout events in Marrakech. Maxim was aloof; he largely stared at Halliburton, holding his gaze for lengthy durations at a time as if sizing him up.
As a relationship-building train, Even proposed that Halliburton promote the household workplace round $3,000 in bitcoin. Halliburton was initially hesitant, however chalked it up as a peculiar relationship ritual. One of many guys slid Halliburton the cash-filled envelope and instructed him to go to the lavatory, the place he may depend out the quantity in non-public. “It felt like one thing out of a James Bond film,” says Halliburton. “It was all very unique to me.”
