Prior to 2014 Andresen was the lead developer for a part of the bitcoin digital currency project, working to create a secure, stable "cash for the Internet." Andresen discovered bitcoin in 2010, quickly recognising the brilliance of its design. Soon after he created a website named The Bitcoin Faucet which gave away bitcoin. In April 2011, Forbes quoted Andresen as saying, "Bitcoin is designed to
bring us back to a decentralized currency of the people," and "this is like better gold than gold." He was soon designated by the inventor of bitcoin, Satoshi Nakamoto to lead development of the client software for the bitcoin network which is now known as Bitcoin Core. Andresen also created ClearCoin, an escrow-type of service, which was closed on about June 23, 2011. After several years working on the software, Andresen left the role of lead developer of bitcoin to work on the strategic development of its technology. He conceived of the Bitcoin Foundation which became reality in 2012.
