Bitcoin is going through some rough days lately. After bitcoin trading exchange Mt. Gox disclosed that it's bankrupt and has no clear plan of how it can return half a billion dollars worth of the virtual currency, a top executive of another bitcoin exchange was found dead in Singapore.
Autumn Radtke, chief executive of First Meta , was found dead Feb. 28 at in Singapore, where she moved to in January 2012. The 28-year-old Wisconsin native was found lifeless inside her apartment. Local authorities have launched a probe and have ruled that the death of the young CEO was unnatural, meaning an accident, suicide, overdose or misadventure cannot be ruled out.
"The First Meta team is shocked and saddened by the tragic loss of our friend and CEO Autumn Radtke. Our deepest condolences go out to her family, friends and loved ones. Autumn was an inspiration to all of us and she will be sorely missed," First Meta stated on its website.
Radtke worked in the cloud computing industry and even collaborated with Apple to OS X-based servers to several organizations. She was also involved in business development as one of the founding team member of Geodelic, a firm that provided location-based services for mobile platforms such as Android and iOS.
There are speculations around the Web that Radtke committed suicide, with reports claiming that the current troubles in the bitcoin world might have pushed her over the edge. However, the case is still under investigation and no facts can back up such claims.
First Meta was founded in 2007 and became popular when it created a virtual credit card for users of an online game called Second Life. Today, it is a small bitcoin exchange that also serves as channel for trading other virtual currencies.
Model Katie Stone wrote an emotional post on Facebook for a friend whom she describes as her first friend in LA.
"When I was fresh out of uni, no idea what I was doing. A one way ticket to finding the answers. And you always had the answers. You came with me to Asia. You said you would meet me out there and you did. You were that kind of friend. You'll do anything for your friends. I was so happy you were over there with me," Stone wrote. "You were a sister to me and I am at a loss. I wish you were still here. And this feels like a rubbish way to express the unbearable sadness and despair i feel inside. I look forward to when I see you again, on the next great journey. I miss you, I miss you, I love you, I love you."
While Radtke might have move to Asia to push for the progress cryptocurrency in the region, bitcoin has not been doing well in the region. Vietnam has declared bitcoin and other alternative currencies as illegal while China has issued a warning to its citizens and financial institutions not to deal using the virtual currency.
