Mike Carson has revived Friendster by acquiring its domain and trademarks, launching an iOS app for users seeking a break from current social media. He purchased the domain for less than $8,000 and negotiated a deal involving Bitcoin and another domain. At its peak, Friendster had over 115 million users, primarily in the Asia-Pacific region, before being overshadowed by platforms like Facebook. The original acquisition of Friendster in 2009 was valued at $26.4 million, a modest sum compared to today's tech valuations.
"I was curious who owned it, so I looked at the WHOIS info and recognized the owner as a customer of Park.io ... and that I had corresponded with him previously over email."
"We worked out a deal where I gave him $20k in Bitcoin and a domain that was making about $9k/year in ad revenue, and he gave me the domain friendster.com."
"At its peak, Friendster had more than 115 million registered users, most of whom were located in the Asia-Pacific region after successive platforms displaced it in the US."
"$26.4 million isn't a lot in big tech bucks nowadays, nor was it in 2009 when Facebook was valued at $10 billion."
Read at Theregister
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