Bitstamp has announced a new chief financial officer in former Amazon finance director Stephen Bearpark, according to a press release.
Bearpark will be tasked with overseeing the financial growth of the company, the release stated. He worked with Amazon for several years and has “amassed extensive experience in various finance leadership roles, including corporate governance and control functions.”
Bearpark said in the release that he chose the position at Bitstamp as his new job to get in on the burgeoning cryptocurrency industry.
“With all the growth we’ve witnessed over the past year, and especially the first quarter of 2021, how could I not?” he said, according to the release. “The crypto industry is booming and Bitstamp has proven its place as its reliable cornerstone. I believe we have a real opportunity to build something special on this foundation.”
In other news, digital music retailer Beatport will begin accepting bitcoin for payments beginning in June, according to a company blog post.
The company will also be partnering with Crypto.com in order to drop a new non-fungible token (NFT) titled “Music for Future Dance Floors” on April 23, the post stated. The NFT will come with exclusive tracks from numerous artists, including “Sasha, Charlotte de Witte, Boys Noize, and Pan-Pot; a collaboration between Nic Fanciulli and Alec Monopoly working as Sold As Seen,” along with a bonus track from Sama’ Abdulhadi, paired with visual art from Leif Podhajsky, a Berlin-based artist who has collaborated with Bonobo, Tame Impala and the Sydney Opera House.
The collection is the first planned in a series of audio-visual compilations, according to the post. Others will feature music from Beatport Next artist Alignment, Third Son, Anna Lann and Risa Taniguchi. Those will join the others with mini drops priced at $303 each. The tracks will also come with bonus material.
CEO Robb McDaniels said in the post “there is no reason to stop innovating” when inventions benefit and strengthen the artist community.
“It’s clear that, even in the midst of a pandemic, the DJ/Producer community is willing to lead the industry towards embracing new technology and innovative mediums for engaging with their fans, and the world of crypto currencies and non-fungible tokens are a clear example of this fact,” he said in the post.