One of the largest owners of bitcoin, who reportedly held as much as $1 billion, is dead at 41: reports

Popescu was viewed as a pioneer in digital assets and one of the earliest adopters. An article in Bitcoin Magazine written by Pete Rizzo said that Popescu was known for starting MPEx, a Bitcoin securities exchange, around the same time as the Coinbase Global COIN, +8.56% launched.

At its mid-April peak this year, Popescu’s bitcoin holdings would have been worth nearly $2 billion.

At last check, bitcoin prices were changing hands at around $34,295, up 3.2% and Ether ETHUSD, +15.40% on Ethereum’s blockchain was trading at $2,079, up over 13%, even amid reports that the world’s largest crypto trading platform Binance was facing a regulatory crackdown in the U.K., and a separate report noting that the platform has been compelled to pull out of doing business in Canadian province Ontario.

Word of Popescu’s reported death were circulating in crypto circles, with some wondering where his holdings would go.

The latest news also comes as crypto continues to wrestle with China’s ban on bitcoin mining and crypto trading in the world’s second-largest economy and the biggest crypto miner.