The Bitcoin scene faces a true tragedy with the death of Autumn Radtke, the CEO of First Meta, a virtual asset management tool that also served as a Bitcoin exchange. Found dead in her Singapore apartment, Radtke’s incident is being called a suicide.  Reports indicate that a toxicology review has been requested, adding fuel to early claims that Radtke’s death is associated with the Bitcoin market.

First Meta added its condolences to Radtke’s family on its homepage:

“The First Meta team is shocked and saddened by the tragic loss of our friend and CEO Autumn Radtke. Our deepest condolences go out to her family, friends and loved ones. Autumn was an inspiration to all of us and she will be sorely missed.”

A 28 year-old financial executive, Radtke hails professionally from Silicon Valley where she worked at Apple and other digital payment service providers. A rising figure in the Bitcoin community, Radtke’s death comes during a period of turmoil for the digital currency market. Most recently Flexcoin’s Bitcoin exchange closed after hackers attempted a $600,000 heist, and public perception of Bitcoin is full of questions after Mt. Gox’s bankruptcy filing just last week.

Though Radtke’s death seems to warrant further investigation in part due to her involvement in the Bitcoin industry, but is this just the media taking things too far?

Reading First Meta’s website, you’ll find Bitcoin just one of many virtual currencies supported by the exchange, with no major emphasis on Bitcoin solely. Launched in 2008, First Meta was among the early visionaries for virtualized currency, creating the first virtual credit card for Second Life (that’s Liden dollars). Just a brief reminder that Radtke’s life story is bigger than virtual currency, encompases more than Bitcoin, and deserves justice.

According to a Facebook announcement, some of Radtke’s friends and associates will gather tomorrow in Milwaukee, where services are to be held in celebration of her life.

image source: LinkedIn