The cryptocurrency world is in mourning as news breaks that Bob Lee, a cofounder of Cash App and former Square executive, has been tragically murdered in downtown San Francisco. The San Francisco Chronicle reports that Lee was found unconscious with two stab wounds to his chest and later died of his injuries in hospital. Lee was a key player in the industry, having also served as the chief product officer of cryptocurrency company MobileCoin.
Jack Dorsey, former Twitter CEO and chief executive of Block, which owns Square, expressed his heartbreak at the news on the decentralized social media platform Nostr. “Bob was instrumental to Square and Cash App,” he said. Many others have also spoken out about Lee’s kindness and generosity. “Bob was a dad, the former CTO of Square where he created Cash App & CTO of Mobile Coin,” wrote Bill Barhydt, CEO of crypto company Abra. “He was a generous decent human being who didn’t deserve to be killed.”
Lee’s death is a reminder of the ongoing public health and public safety issues in San Francisco, with crime rates remaining stubbornly high. Back in 2011, 50 murders were reported, representing 6.1 per 100,000 people. Assaults, burglaries, thefts, and vehicle thefts also occurred frequently.
Bob Lee’s legacy will be remembered by the many he helped throughout his career. As Michael Arrington tweeted, “Bob was one of my best sources at TechCrunch. And never the mean stuff. He was always pointing me to the startups or people that needed a boost to really take off. When they took off, we looked smart for writing about them first. He was always positive.”
At this stage, law enforcement has yet to identify a suspect or a motive for the stabbing, leaving the community shocked and saddened by the loss of one of its brightest stars. Bob Lee was a kind, caring, and giving individual who touched the lives of many, and he will be deeply missed.
