We’ve all heard the legendary stories of crypto tycoons like Brian Armstrong, Changpeng Zhao and Barry Silbert who have built the global blockchain infrastructure for years and have repeatedly made headlines with their innovative companies.
While not every successful entrepreneur ends up in the covers of popular media outlets, they still do a big deal creating many employment opportunities and fostering positive change in the entire Web3 space. Of course, billionaire business people are great role models, but it’s also possible to find inspiration in the “average Joe”-style founders and C-level executives. These individuals have triumphed due to dedication and hard work, and have built brilliant careers, all while remaining relatively unknown.
Below is a list of victorious entrepreneurs whose names may not be familiar to the general public, but they will definitely leave you with a sense of encouragement.
Mike Shishko, Co-founder & Solution Architect, Kinetex
With a master’s degree in software engineering, Mike Shishko has over 15 years of experience building and developing tech products in various industries. Spurring the blockchain ecosystem since 2013, he is now gaining global recognition as the leading architect at Kinetex, an automatic zero-gas exchange founded in early 2023. Together with his team, Mike has already won this year’s ETHGlobal hackathon in Paris after showcasing an inventive cross-chain trading standard relying on cutting-edge ZK light clients.This innovation allows for swapping crypto assets directly with market makers, thus removing third-party validators from the process.
Rasikh Morani, CEO, Arcadia
Rasikh Morani stands at the forefront of blockchain technology and security as the dynamic CEO of Arcadia. This security firm delves deep into the realms of economic and smart contract security, blockchain scaling, and the ever-evolving worlds of decentralized finance. Under Rasikh’s astute leadership, Arcadia has made its mark by aiding in the development of blockchains that have processed transactions worth billions in value. Further, under his leadership, Arcadia has secured over 120 projects within the cryptocurrency and financial technology sectors with a number of project launches occurring under his purview.
Dmitry Machikhin, Founder, BitOK
Dmitry Machikhin is a Forbes-listed blockchain entrepreneur boasting 10 years of fintech experience and specializing in online games and Web3. Currently, he’s behind BitOK, a tool for tracking suspicious cryptocurrency transactions and managing crypto accounting, all within a single user-friendly platform. Dmitry also pioneered a unique solution for banks, helping them identify crypto clients and assess their risk profiles.
Martin Ploom, Co-founder & CEO, ChainAware.ai
Martin Ploom is a crypto veteran with both CFA and EMBA who has been navigating the space since 2012. Having worked as the VP at Zurich-based Credit Suisse, he’s now at the helm of ChainAware.ai, an AI-powered Web3 platform enabling efficient fraud detection and transparent user segmentation for 1:1 marketing. Effectively, ChainAware.ai utilizes public blockchain data to predict users’ intentions, helping projects target the right audiences based on their behavior and blockchain history. With this tool at hand, marketing departments can focus on increasing user conversion instead of spreading funds everywhere.
Aleksandr Pogozhev, Founder of Plan9.tech & CTO at Arena Games
Since getting his master’s degree in computer science and engineering, Aleksandr Pogozhev has launched about 100 projects in finance and SaaS industries, combining top-notch technology and cross-platforming user experience. A former CERN employee, Aleksandr runs his own digital agency called Plan9.tech which is engaged in building Web3 solutions of different complexity: from websites and landing pages to CEXs, DEXs, NFT marketplaces, wallets, and launchpads. Meanwhile, he is also emerging as the CTO at Arena Games, a startup platform bridging the worlds of Web2 and Web3 for game developers.
Bottomline
To sum up, the above-mentioned five entrepreneurs have contributed to the proliferation of disruptive blockchain technology along the same lines as renowned crypto titans. They all have taken different routes starting with their own “aha” moments, which is a testament to the fact that this brave new Web3 era opens every door for talents of all skills and backgrounds.
