Purse says an interested investor may open their wallet to save the shopping startup from the brink. (Credit: Shutterstock)
Bitcoin startup Purse.io is in talks of being acquired after announcing its intention to shut down last week, according to Purse support manager Eduardo Gomez in a private message and confirmed in a company statement.
“We are in serious talks to get acquired. Meaning that we will most likely live through this,” Gomez said.
Furthermore, the firm has “several interested parties” including “well-known Bitcoin investors.” Gomez said he was unable to disclose any further details, however. As such, Purse’s original June 26 shutdown date is likely to be postponed, he said.
One of the investors may well be Bitcoin Cash (BCH) evangelist and Bitcoin.com CEO Roger Ver who posted a video on April 19 saying he has “been talking to [Purse].” Purse lists Ver as an original investor in the project.
Ver declined to comment when asked over email.
“Purse is too important for the ecosystem to let disappear. I don’t think [Purse] is going to go anywhere,” Ver said in his Sunday video.
Gomez said the 17-person team received “tremendous support” from its user base since its announcement on April 16. The bitcoin service launched in 2014 and matches Amazon gift card users with bitcoin and bitcoin cash investors.
Former Purse team member Steven McKie told CoinDesk in a private message following the initial announcement that it made sense for the Purse team to disband. McKie said members had “been winding down for quite a while” while transitioning to other tasks like the internet blockchain project Handshake.
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https://www.coindesk.com/bitcoin-startup-purse-may-have-a-lifeline-after-all
