Raised 1.6 million euros for his start up Tykn Bv.
2018
Graduated from the University of Nicosia in Cyprus with a Masters Degree in Digital Currencies and Blockchain Technology.
2016
He won the Start-Up weekend Hackathon and turned his idea into a business.
2015
He discovered his purpose in life and answered the question why was I born?
2014
Found out he has superpowers and is an Invisible Man. Being a Syrian Refugee and striped of his IDs, Tey used this to his advantage and changed his life and the lives of thousands around him.
Biography
Tey's story is an unlikely one. Labeled as The Invisible Man at the age of 5 to becoming one literally in the Netherlands 25 years later. He is an early adopter of Bitcoin, Pioneering the use of blockchain to break financial and identity barriers. He started a tech4good company that helps others like him. His journey ultimately led him to the realisation of his life's mission: turning invisible people into invincible ones. Through his work as a CEO, writer, speaker, and a holder of MSc in Digital Currencies and Blockchain Technology he is determined to become a billionaire.
Not in terms of money but in positively touching the lives of billions of people. Tey's story is a passionate account of perseverance and determination that will leave you on the edge of your seat.
Employability
Keynote speaker
Expert
Entertainer / Comedian
Breakout session
Master class
Debate
Speaker
Reviews:
Tedx Amsterdam: monique@vandusseldorp.com
Momentum Capital BV: https://www.linkedin.com/in/martijnvanrheenen/
Blockchain Innovation Conference: vincent@everts.net
Keynote.ae : Moe@keynote.ae
Decentralised: https://www.decentralized.com/
Bitcoin Wednesday: richardkohl@gmail.com
Rockstart
Princess laurentien van oranje
Prince Constantijn van Oranje
The Hague Talks: diana.eggleston@gmail.com
Odyessy: Rutger Van Zuidam
London School of Economics / Marshal Institute
Chivas Ventures:
NRC live: Wouter van Noort
Video
[Exclusive Interview] Tey, CEO Tykn
Tey was listed as the first on our interview guest list at the planning stage of “China Europe Blockchain Insight”. Not only because he is the CEO of Tykn Technology, also because of the legendary story behind him. With a nation of Syria, Tey, was born in Kuwait. He came to the Netherlands as a software trainer. In 2012 he became one of the first Dutch players in bitcoin mining, founded Tubeminer.com with his Dutch business partner. However, due to his birth certificate was destroyed during the Gulf War, he was labeled “invisible man” by the Dutch government and forced to apply as asylum. And the application process took two years, from the superior material life, to a shared room, three meals a day at specified time. “Life is like a rollercoaster, with ups and downs” yet I think only Tey can understand the flavor of the phrase. During his two years in the refugee camp, he met more than 1,000 refugees who share the same fate as him. Software Engineer-born Tey shields himself from using all the time online to deeply learn blockchain technology and is determined to use technology to change not just the fate of those 1,000 but also millions of invisible men around the world It was 2016 when Tey came out of the refugee camp. He created Tykn with the mission to change the population of all people who dont have legal identity, which result in the loss their fundamental human rights without legal status. Tey’s experience, community influence impressed Nicosia University , offered him scholarships, he got a master’s degree in Digital Currency, and even embarked on the TED’s podium. However, he never dared to forget his mission, and the Tykn team won the 2016 hacking marathon champion sponsored by Google, RaboBank, one of the largest Dutch banks. Ironically, he has never had the privilege of owning a bank card. Over the years, he and his team have been traveling around the world, explaining blockchain technology to blockchain regulators, governments, NGOs … and introducing his experiences. At the same time, the technology that has never stopped to land digital identity technology. “From Invisible to Incredible” This is Tey’s motto, yes, he wants to change the world’s 230 million invisible children fate. Tey said that one of the most important two days of human life, one day is born, one day is to understand the meaning of his birth. He learned the meaning of his survival after going through the refugee camp. Tykn started with E18 from the SSC refugee camp. He will remember the beginning and keep it forever!
Tykn is a blockchain startup that helps NGOs and governments with their identity management system for humanitarian aid. This comprises higher-order applications for aid distribution, greater project level metrics and the identification of beneficiaries. Tey El-Rjula co-founded Tykn because of his own experiences as a refugee and all the hardships regarding his "lost identity" that came with it. He pitched the Tykn story at the Blockchain Innovation Conference and he won the 2018 ICO Pitch Competition!
The Invisible Man | Toufic El-Rjula | TEDxAmsterdam
Fleeing Kuwait as a 5 year old boy at the start of the Gulf War, Toufic “Tey” El-Rjula's birth certificate was destroyed. He had no identity, he became "Invisible." Years later, after experiencing the financial crash in Dubai in 2008, he moved to The Hague in The Netherlands, where he became a Blockchain Senior Analyst for wikistrat.com, as well as a Bitcoin miner. But, in 2014, Tey was forced to move into a refugee camp in The Netherlands, after his work permit was terminated. Living in the camp for two years, he came in touch with Syrian refugees who were unable to verify the authenticity of their documents, or had lost important ones such as land titles or academic certificates while fleeing their homelands. He met 1000's more 'invisible humans", just as he had been. Using Bitcoin to get some decent food was just the start, Tey’s experiences have inspired him to leverage Bitcoin and Blockchain technology to create secure digital identities so that no-one need be Invisible ever again. Today, Tey is CEO and co-founder of Tykn.tech, a start-up that is working with the International Red Cross and leading project Zinc (Zero INvisible Children), to solve the paper-based identity problem in disaster areas. He is active as a public speaker and educator on digital currencies and Blockchain technology, a global moderator at Bitcoin.com, and candidate for an MSc Digital Currencies at the University of Nicosia.
[Exclusive Interview] Tey, CEO Tykn
Tey was listed as the first on our interview guest list at the planning stage of “China Europe Blockchain Insight”. Not only because he is the CEO of Tykn Technology, also because of the legendary story behind him. With a nation of Syria, Tey, was born in Kuwait. He came to the Netherlands as a software trainer. In 2012 he became one of the first Dutch players in bitcoin mining, founded Tubeminer.com with his Dutch business partner. However, due to his birth certificate was destroyed during the Gulf War, he was labeled “invisible man” by the Dutch government and forced to apply as asylum. And the application process took two years, from the superior material life, to a shared room, three meals a day at specified time. “Life is like a rollercoaster, with ups and downs” yet I think only Tey can understand the flavor of the phrase. During his two years in the refugee camp, he met more than 1,000 refugees who share the same fate as him. Software Engineer-born Tey shields himself from using all the time online to deeply learn blockchain technology and is determined to use technology to change not just the fate of those 1,000 but also millions of invisible men around the world It was 2016 when Tey came out of the refugee camp. He created Tykn with the mission to change the population of all people who dont have legal identity, which result in the loss their fundamental human rights without legal status. Tey’s experience, community influence impressed Nicosia University , offered him scholarships, he got a master’s degree in Digital Currency, and even embarked on the TED’s podium. However, he never dared to forget his mission, and the Tykn team won the 2016 hacking marathon champion sponsored by Google, RaboBank, one of the largest Dutch banks. Ironically, he has never had the privilege of owning a bank card. Over the years, he and his team have been traveling around the world, explaining blockchain technology to blockchain regulators, governments, NGOs … and introducing his experiences. At the same time, the technology that has never stopped to land digital identity technology. “From Invisible to Incredible” This is Tey’s motto, yes, he wants to change the world’s 230 million invisible children fate. Tey said that one of the most important two days of human life, one day is born, one day is to understand the meaning of his birth. He learned the meaning of his survival after going through the refugee camp. Tykn started with E18 from the SSC refugee camp. He will remember the beginning and keep it forever!
Tykn is a blockchain startup that helps NGOs and governments with their identity management system for humanitarian aid. This comprises higher-order applications for aid distribution, greater project level metrics and the identification of beneficiaries. Tey El-Rjula co-founded Tykn because of his own experiences as a refugee and all the hardships regarding his "lost identity" that came with it. He pitched the Tykn story at the Blockchain Innovation Conference and he won the 2018 ICO Pitch Competition!
The Invisible Man | Toufic El-Rjula | TEDxAmsterdam
Fleeing Kuwait as a 5 year old boy at the start of the Gulf War, Toufic “Tey” El-Rjula's birth certificate was destroyed. He had no identity, he became "Invisible." Years later, after experiencing the financial crash in Dubai in 2008, he moved to The Hague in The Netherlands, where he became a Blockchain Senior Analyst for wikistrat.com, as well as a Bitcoin miner. But, in 2014, Tey was forced to move into a refugee camp in The Netherlands, after his work permit was terminated. Living in the camp for two years, he came in touch with Syrian refugees who were unable to verify the authenticity of their documents, or had lost important ones such as land titles or academic certificates while fleeing their homelands. He met 1000's more 'invisible humans", just as he had been. Using Bitcoin to get some decent food was just the start, Tey’s experiences have inspired him to leverage Bitcoin and Blockchain technology to create secure digital identities so that no-one need be Invisible ever again. Today, Tey is CEO and co-founder of Tykn.tech, a start-up that is working with the International Red Cross and leading project Zinc (Zero INvisible Children), to solve the paper-based identity problem in disaster areas. He is active as a public speaker and educator on digital currencies and Blockchain technology, a global moderator at Bitcoin.com, and candidate for an MSc Digital Currencies at the University of Nicosia.
