Facebook is aggressively recruiting — and having some trouble successfully wooing — engineers and academics for its blockchain org. Part of the pitch: build a decentralized cryptocurrency for its 2 billion users. Story with @TMacheel: cheddar.com/videos/faceboo…
FB started its blockchain group 8 months ago, and roughly 40 people work in the org now. Roughly a half dozen ex-PayPal execs, and a head of crop dev was just named to oversee M&A in the space. FB wants to acquihire talent and has been meeting with early stage crypto startups.
FB building its own cryptocurrency / creating its own digital economy has potentially MASSIVE implications for its business / the crypto industry. Imagine being able to exchange value without a bank on WhatsApp in a country that doesn't have accessible financial services for all.
Part of this blockchain work is also about decentralization and giving data 'back' to users so that they have tangible ownership / portability. FB wanted to buy Distributed Systems, which is working on just that, before it sold to Coinbase blog.coinbase.com/identity-at-co…
Here's a look at the leaders in FB's Blockchain org. Telling that they've already hired someone to lead public policy in DC. Lots of ex-PayPal execs, and several longtime FB employees have joined the org recently too 
Also in the story: Facebook's cloak and dagger approach to secretly recruiting crypto academics at conferences ruffled the feathers of one bitcoin conference organizer, who told me, “We will be issuing a strict warning to any Facebook employees attending the next event"
I should note that if you know more about what FB is doing in blockchain/crypto... my DMs are open
