Tezos project could launch within weeks, co-founder says

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If you want something done, do it yourself. That’s a lesson Tezos co-founder Kathleen Breitman has been applying as she prepares to pull the trigger on the release of “Tezzies,” with or without internal support.

The Tezos project has been the stuff afternoon dramas are made of. It has been plagued with litigation, internal strife and broken promises, resulting in a string of delays following its initial coin offering (ICO) last year.  The ICO was one of the biggest seen in 2017, raising about $232 million, and now investors want their money to start earning them returns.

At the recently held UCLA Blockchain Lab Cyber Day conference, Breitman announced that Tezzies could be available in just a few short weeks.

“We plan on releasing the token and going rogue in the next few weeks. We’re able to release the token on our own terms. For a while I felt like I was being ‘gaslit,’ but then I unburdened myself of the morality of it. Things needed to move forward. It’s unfair, but we need to ship the code,” she said.

Despite the positive remarks, Tezos have not gained any traction in the markets. After reaching a high of $10.51 in December, they are now trading at around $2.90.

The infighting is evident everywhere, even on Twitter, where users can choose between three Tezos accounts. The Tezos account has been collecting dust and cobwebs since September of last year, while the Tezos Foundation account, overseen by Tezos President Johann Gevers, and Breitman’s T2 Foundation account have continued to be active. The T2 Foundation account and the Tezos account demonstrate a rift between Gevers and Breitman along with her husband and Tezos co-founder, Arthur Breitman.

Gevers has been extremely polarizing as president of the cryptocurrency network, and at times he has been referred to as a dictator, according to reports. Earlier this year, he announced plans to relaunch the project with an all-Swiss team and he’s holding fast to that rule. Despite receiving numerous requests to join the foundation from highly qualified individuals, Gevers allegedly turned them all down for, to put it simply, not being Swiss.