{"id":"konstantin-richter","title":"Konstantin Richter","content":"**Konstantin Richter** is a German entrepreneur and the founder and CEO of Blockdaemon, a company that provides institutional-grade blockchain infrastructure. \n\n## Career\n\nRichter began his career from 1998 to 2000 as a strategic change consultant at PricewaterhouseCoopers. He then moved to Deutsche Telekom AG, where he held senior management and director roles between 2000 and 2005, focusing on network communications and commercial models for cellular networks. Following this, he was the Director of Business Development for Media and Entertainment at Motricity from 2005 to 2007. From 2008 to 2011, Richter served as the Director of Global Media Partnerships at Nokia, where his work involved digital monetization and payment processes.\n\nAfter his time at Nokia, Richter became involved in entrepreneurship, building and exiting several Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) and marketplace platforms, including Audiotube, Lookbooks, and Wiredrive, with his last exit occurring in 2017. During this period, he also began serving as the Managing Director of Santiago Advisory in 2012, a strategic advisory role he continues to hold. According to interviews, his transition to entrepreneurship was partly motivated by dissatisfaction with large corporate structures.\n\nRichter entered the [cryptocurrency](https://iq.wiki/wiki/cryptocurrency) space around 2013, where he identified a market need for reliable and scalable infrastructure to support the growing number of [blockchain](https://iq.wiki/wiki/blockchain) networks. This observation led him to found Blockdaemon in 2017, where he has served as CEO since its inception. [\\[2\\]](#cite-id-9OqhRvZsD7yK9fa0) [\\[3\\]](#cite-id-XQmjZjkxjtexew7E) \n\n### Board and Advisory Roles\n\nAlongside his executive and entrepreneurial activities, Richter has held several concurrent advisory and governance positions. He joined the board of directors of the nonprofit organization Odyssey House in 2014. In 2015, he became a member of the advisory board for DNAstack. He has also served as an advisory board member for the ad-tech company MadHive since 2016. In the [blockchain](https://iq.wiki/wiki/blockchain) sector, he has advised companies such as [Gem](https://iq.wiki/wiki/gem-wallet) and Po.et. [\\[2\\]](#cite-id-9OqhRvZsD7yK9fa0) [\\[3\\]](#cite-id-XQmjZjkxjtexew7E) \n\n## Blockdaemon\n\nRichter founded Blockdaemon in 2017 with the conviction that large-scale institutional [node](https://iq.wiki/wiki/node) networks would become essential infrastructure for the blockchain industry. He has stated that his goal was to create a secure and accessible gateway for institutions to participate in [crypto](https://iq.wiki/wiki/cryptocurrency) markets, drawing parallels between the developmental challenges of the early internet and those facing the emergent [crypto](https://iq.wiki/wiki/cryptocurrency) sector. The company was established to provide institutional-grade node management, staking services, and API access to facilitate participation in [decentralized finance (DeFi)](https://iq.wiki/wiki/defi) and the broader [blockchain](https://iq.wiki/wiki/blockchain) ecosystem.\n\nUnder Richter's leadership, Blockdaemon expanded its offerings from basic [node](https://iq.wiki/wiki/node) management to a broader suite of services, including [staking](https://iq.wiki/wiki/staking), API access, and infrastructure for [DeFi](https://iq.wiki/wiki/defi) activities like institutional lending and borrowing. The company secured a Series C funding round of $3.25 billion. Noted institutional clients of the company include JPMorgan and Goldman Sachs. [\\[2\\]](#cite-id-9OqhRvZsD7yK9fa0) [\\[5\\]](#cite-id-wq3XhiduOsrxTm8r) [\\[6\\]](#cite-id-PcJCs3nZG5yWQpiV) \n\n## Interviews\n\n### Blockdaemon\n\nIn a July 2025 interview on *The New Money Podcast*, Richter discussed the evolution of [blockchain](https://iq.wiki/wiki/blockchain) infrastructure and Blockdaemon’s role as a leading provider to institutional clients, including major financial firms such as JPMorgan and Goldman Sachs. He highlighted recent bipartisan support for [crypto](https://iq.wiki/wiki/cryptocurrency) legislation in the U.S., emphasizing that regulatory clarity would be key to the sector’s growth, and reflected on the challenges [crypto](https://iq.wiki/wiki/cryptocurrency) companies face in navigating banking restrictions. Richter described Blockdaemon’s expansion from [node](https://iq.wiki/wiki/node) management to enabling [decentralized finance](https://iq.wiki/wiki/defi) services like lending and borrowing, as well as innovations in staking and API offerings for institutions. He also addressed emerging technologies, including AI and quantum computing, as drivers of rapid infrastructure development, and shared plans to reintroduce [staking](https://iq.wiki/wiki/staking) services in the U.S. through a [staking](https://iq.wiki/wiki/staking) index token. Throughout the conversation, he underscored the importance of maintaining a strong U.S. presence while expanding globally, and he reflected on lessons from the industry regarding trust, regulation, and innovation in financial markets. [\\[6\\]](#cite-id-PcJCs3nZG5yWQpiV) \n\n[YOUTUBE@VID](https://youtube.com/watch?v=MRJyms4uGkM)\n\n### Trust, Disruption, & Navigation\n\nIn a December 2023 interview on the *Block by Block* podcast, Richter discussed his professional background and the development of Blockdaemon, tracing his career from network communications roles at Deutsche Telekom and Nokia to entrepreneurship driven by dissatisfaction with large corporate structures. He described early ventures in digital media and data services before entering the [cryptocurrency](https://iq.wiki/wiki/cryptocurrency) space around 2013, where he identified a need for reliable infrastructure to support emerging [blockchain](https://iq.wiki/wiki/blockchain) networks. Richter explained that Blockdaemon was founded to provide institutional access to [crypto](https://iq.wiki/wiki/cryptocurrency) through scalable [node](https://iq.wiki/wiki/node) infrastructure and related services, drawing parallels between the growing pains of early internet adoption and challenges facing the [crypto](https://iq.wiki/wiki/cryptocurrency) sector. The conversation emphasized the importance of trust, institutional partnerships, and accessible infrastructure, with Richter arguing that while [blockchain](https://iq.wiki/wiki/blockchain) systems may be designed to be trust-minimized, organizations operating within them must still establish credibility. He concluded by outlining a long-term vision to make [crypto](https://iq.wiki/wiki/cryptocurrency) infrastructure more user-friendly and more integrated with traditional financial institutions as the market matures. [\\[4\\]](#cite-id-owP4KzdkhIFxK1EO) \n\n[YOUTUBE@VID](https://youtube.com/watch?v=0QDVdFWlYjU)\n\n## Presentations\n\n### Against All Odds\n\nIn a May 2025 presentation and interview with EO Studio, Richter discussed the origins and development of Blockdaemon, outlining his early conviction that large-scale networks of institutional [blockchain](https://iq.wiki/wiki/blockchain) [nodes](https://iq.wiki/wiki/node) would become essential infrastructure despite initial skepticism. He described Blockdaemon’s role in supporting institutional participation in [crypto](https://iq.wiki/wiki/cryptocurrency) markets and reflected on formative experiences that shaped his views on transparent and resilient systems, including the political and economic disruptions of his early life. Richter also addressed the challenges of building the company during periods of market contraction, emphasizing leadership, organizational stability, and close institutional engagement as key to navigating downturns. The conversation concluded with his assessment of increasing institutional involvement in [cryptocurrency](https://iq.wiki/wiki/cryptocurrency) markets and the importance of governance, efficiency, and trust as the sector continues to mature. [\\[5\\]](#cite-id-wq3XhiduOsrxTm8r) \n\n[YOUTUBE@VID](https://youtube.com/watch?v=yVcCywnPuC8)\n\n### Sovereign L2\n\nAt [TOKEN2049](https://iq.wiki/wiki/token2049) Dubai in April 2024, Richter presented on the evolution of institutional [blockchain](https://iq.wiki/wiki/blockchain) infrastructure, outlining Blockdaemon’s role in supporting large-scale [crypto](https://iq.wiki/wiki/cryptocurrency) operations across global data centers. He discussed how scaling solutions such as [Ethereum](https://iq.wiki/wiki/ethereum) [Layer 2](https://iq.wiki/wiki/layer-2) networks address transaction throughput constraints by aggregating activity, creating new opportunities for institutions to participate in transaction processing and fee generation. Richter contrasted earlier permissioned [blockchain](https://iq.wiki/wiki/blockchain) models with newer hybrid approaches enabled by [Layer 2](https://iq.wiki/wiki/layer-2) frameworks, which combine open public networks with controlled-access and compliance features, making them more suitable for institutional use. He also referenced the emerging concept of [Layer 3](https://iq.wiki/wiki/layer-3) solutions, in which institutions can build proprietary platforms on top of existing networks while retaining greater operational control. The presentation emphasized interoperability, compliance, and monetization of infrastructure as central challenges and opportunities, highlighting payments, wallet infrastructure, [stablecoins](https://iq.wiki/wiki/stablecoin), [rollups](https://iq.wiki/wiki/rollup), and account abstraction as key areas shaping the next phase of institutional adoption in [blockchain](https://iq.wiki/wiki/blockchain) systems. [\\[8\\]](#cite-id-6VkschuVIGEKXdCu) \n\n[YOUTUBE@VID](https://youtube.com/watch?v=J5Wgcy4fwoI)\n\n## Panels\n\n### DeFi 2.0\n\nAt the Ondo Summit in February 2025, Richter participated in the “DeFi 2.0: Wall Street Meets Blockchain” panel alongside Katie Wheeler of [Ondo](https://iq.wiki/wiki/ondo-finance), [David Schwartz](https://iq.wiki/wiki/david-schwartz) of [Ripple](https://iq.wiki/wiki/ripple-labs), [Sergey Nazarov](https://iq.wiki/wiki/sergey-nazarov) of [Chainlink](https://iq.wiki/wiki/chainlink), and Mary-Catherine Lader of [Uniswap](https://iq.wiki/wiki/uniswap). The discussion focused on the evolving relationship between [decentralized finance](https://iq.wiki/wiki/defi) and traditional financial institutions, with Richter emphasizing that deeper engagement with established financial firms has underscored the importance of compliance, risk management, and institutional-grade infrastructure in [crypto](https://iq.wiki/wiki/cryptocurrency). Panelists described a shift from early, speculative [DeFi](https://iq.wiki/wiki/defi) models toward more utility-driven and regulated applications, including stablecoins and [real-world asset](https://iq.wiki/wiki/real-world-assets-rwas) tokenization, as pathways to broader adoption. The conversation also addressed challenges around liquidity, interoperability, and user experience, as well as the need for more robust wallet infrastructure and protections against [smart contract](https://iq.wiki/wiki/smart-contract) risk. Collectively, the panel explored how these developments could reshape capital markets, enable new financial products, and attract sustained institutional participation in [blockchain](https://iq.wiki/wiki/blockchain)-based finance. [\\[7\\]](#cite-id-xwxxU6KeuPetqZWl) \n\n[YOUTUBE@VID](https://youtube.com/watch?v=OH9bXNZ3uOY)","summary":"Konstantin Richter is the founder and CEO of Blockdaemon, a company providing institutional blockchain infrastructure. 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