Wences Casares
Former CEO of Xapo, Fintech Entrepreneur
Alejandro Korn, Argentina
About
Wences Casares is an Argentine businessman acclaimed for his notable impact on the fintech and cryptocurrency industries. Born on February 26, 1974, in Patagonia, Argentina, he established Xapo Bank, a prominent Bitcoin custodian known for safeguarding significant cryptocurrency holdings in secure vaults around the globe. Quick Facts Full Name Wences Casares Birth 26-02-1974, Gobernador Costa, Argentina Nationality Argentine Education Business Administration from the University of San Andrés Net Worth Estimated in millions Marital Status Married to Belle Casares Before he entered into cryptocurrency, Casares established multiple companies, such as Internet Argentina, Wanako Games, Patagon, Bling Nation, Lemon Wallet, and Banco Lemon. His creative contributions have secured him roles on the boards of notable organizations like PayPal and Diem. Career Highlights of Wences Casares • 1994 – Founded Internet Argentina, one of Argentina’s first internet service providers. • 1997 – Launched Patagon, a pioneering online brokerage and banking service in Latin America. • 2000 – Sold Patagon to Banco Santander for $750 million, marking a major fintech exit. • 2002 – Founded Wanako Games, a successful video game development studio, later acquired by Activision. • 2007 – Co-founded Bling Nation, a mobile payment platform focused on small businesses. • 2011 – Launched Lemon Wallet, a digital wallet app later acquired by LifeLock for $42 million. • 2013 – Founded Xapo, a leading Bitcoin wallet and storage provider with institutional-grade security. • 2014 – Xapo became one of the first major Bitcoin custodians, securing crypto assets for institutions. • 2017 – Appointed to PayPal’s Board of Directors, influencing crypto and digital payment strategies. • 2019 – Sold Xapo’s institutional business to Coinbase, solidifying Xapo’s role in Bitcoin’s adoption. Casares is noted for bringing key individuals such as Bill Gates and Reid Hoffman into Bitcoin, which earned him the title "Patient Zero" in the crypto space. Useful Links to Connect With Wences Casares Platform Link X (formerly Twitter) https://twitter.com/wences LinkedIn profile https://www.linkedin.com/in/wencescasares CrunchBase https://www.crunchbase.com/person/wences-casares Forbes Profile https://www.forbes.com/profile/wences-casares
Experience
Role not set
Awards
- CoinDesk2020 - Top 50 Most Influential in Crypto
- Coinbase2019 - Institutional Bitcoin Custodian Leadership
- Forbes2018 - Crypto Visionary Recognition
- World Economic Forum2017 - Blockchain Innovator Award
- Foreign Policy Magazine2014 - Top 100 Global Thinkers
FAQs
- A Bitcoin entrepreneur and fintech pioneer.