Ben
The business, the turning points, and the decisions behind them.
Some sections are still being researched2 / 4
Sections to complete：02 · 05
01 / WHAT IT BUILT
What the company did
Ben was a cryptocurrency chatbot startup in Y Combinator's Winter 2018 batch. It let anyone learn about and buy Bitcoin through a conversational chat interface: users could take lessons, read industry news, and buy or sell Bitcoin, with the KYC check itself done via chat. The startup deliberately targeted people who had no idea what Bitcoin was or how to buy it, avoiding head-to-head competition with exchanges like Coinbase. Users in 21 US states could buy and sell (with Ethereum, Ripple and Bitcoin Cash support planned), paying a 1% fee, and the app added a social feature comparing friends' returns on a percentage basis. It had raised a $580,000 pre-seed round from Third Kind Venture Capital and angel investors.
02 / FAILURE REASONS
Material for this section is being gathered and checked. It will appear here once ready.
03 / EVENT HISTORY
Events in the structured record
- YC Winter 2018 launch
Ben launched in Y Combinator's Winter 2018 batch after a $580,000 pre-seed from Third Kind Venture Capital and angels, offering a chat-based Bitcoin on-ramp in 21 US states.
04 / CONTEMPORARY REBUILD ASSESSMENT
Difficulty of rebuilding this project today
Material for this section is being gathered and checked. It will appear here once ready.
Overall assessment: Not completed
05 / CAUSAL CHAIN / AFTERMATH
Material for this section is being gathered and checked. It will appear here once ready.