Arto Bendiken is a self-described blockchain refugee. An accelerationist inspired by the ability of the UAE to terraform grass, trees and golf courses where once there was sand. A native of Finland, he began piecing together computers and teaching himself QBasic and VisualBasic back in the 1990s.
By the 2010s he found himself in Berlin, hanging out at the Room 77 Bar, a storied haunt for the crypto and cypherpunk community, and possibly the first brick-and-mortar location to accept Bitcoin payments.
By the 2010s he found himself in Berlin, hanging out at the Room 77 Bar, a storied haunt for the crypto and cypherpunk community, and possibly the first brick-and-mortar location to accept Bitcoin payments.
Arto is an OG interested in e-gold, in Ayn Rand and early Sci-Fi. He has a compelling perspective on what technology used to be, and where it might be going. We sat down with him to discuss his latest company, Haltia.AI, and why being a blockchain refugee in Dubai is a portal into the future.
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