{"id":"vasily-nikonov","title":"Vasily Nikonov","content":"**Vasily Nikonov** is a technology founder and former management consultant who is the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of the [decentralized finance (DeFi)](https://iq.wiki/wiki/defi) platform Velvet Capital. He has an extensive background in management consulting from his tenure at Boston Consulting Group and holds dual MBA degrees alongside foundational degrees in applied mathematics and physics. [\\[1\\]](#cite-id-L0eZ70TwOljLaLGJ)​\n\n## Education\n\nVasily Nikonov studied applied mathematics and physics at the Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology, where he earned both a Bachelor of Applied Science and a Master of Science in Applied Mathematics and Physics. In 2019, he completed Master of Business Administration (MBA) programs at The Wharton School and INSEAD.  [\\[3\\]](#cite-id-1UTFvz9Rtd5P9CzY) \n\n## Career\n\n### Boston Consulting Group (2015–2018)\n\nNikonov began his career at Boston Consulting Group (BCG) in June 2015 as a Visiting Associate. He steadily progressed through the firm's ranks over the next several years. His roles included Junior Associate from November 2015 to June 2016, Associate until June 2017, Senior Associate until September 2017, and Junior Consultant until March 2018. He was promoted to the role of Consultant in March 2018, a position he held until his departure in December of that year to pursue his MBA. During this initial period at BCG, Nikonov was involved in a range of strategic projects. His work focused on developing investment strategies, creating business models, designing strategic frameworks, formulating growth strategies, managing portfolios, and advising on organizational structures. His clients included sovereign wealth funds, prominent Russian banks, private equity companies, and family-owned investment holdings. [\\[1\\]](#cite-id-L0eZ70TwOljLaLGJ) [\\[3\\]](#cite-id-1UTFvz9Rtd5P9CzY) \n\n### Venture Building and Return to Consulting\n\nWhile completing his MBA, Nikonov gained experience in the startup ecosystem as a Venture Builder at LongHash Ventures from June 2019 to December 2019. In this capacity, he worked with international startups, providing support for business scaling and fundraising efforts. Following the completion of his MBA and his work at LongHash Ventures, Nikonov returned to Boston Consulting Group in June 2020 as a Senior Consultant. He was subsequently promoted to Project Leader in May 2021, a role in which he continued to serve until February 2022. [\\[1\\]](#cite-id-L0eZ70TwOljLaLGJ) [\\[3\\]](#cite-id-1UTFvz9Rtd5P9CzY) ","summary":"Vasily Nikonov is the Founder and CEO of Velvet.Capital, a DeFi asset management protocol. A former Project Leader at Boston Consulting Group, he holds MBA degrees from INSEAD and The Wharton School, and an MS in Applied Mathematics and Physics from MIPT.","images":[{"id":"QmVEhUtW6n8cVuwo7e2bHoeFagnpDYkUEzn7WNez1qviC8","type":"image/jpeg, image/png"}],"categories":[{"id":"people","title":"people"}],"tags":[{"id":"PeopleInDeFi"},{"id":"Founders"},{"id":"Venture"}],"media":[],"metadata":[{"id":"references","value":"[{\"id\":\"L0eZ70TwOljLaLGJ\",\"url\":\"https://theorg.com/org/velvet-capital/org-chart/vasily-nikonov\",\"description\":\"Vasily Nikonov career summary on The Org\",\"timestamp\":1773480212874},{\"id\":\"kuMcyIPN8VEf1QlV\",\"url\":\"https://www.velvet.capital/\",\"description\":\"Velvet Capital official website\",\"timestamp\":1773480212874},{\"id\":\"1UTFvz9Rtd5P9CzY\",\"description\":\"LinkedIn: Vasily Nikonov\",\"timestamp\":1773480339944,\"url\":\"https://www.linkedin.com/in/vasily-nikonov/\"}]"},{"id":"linkedin_profile","value":"https://www.linkedin.com/in/vasily-nikonov/"},{"id":"website","value":"https://www.velvet.capital/"},{"id":"commit-message","value":"\"Added new page for Vasily Nikonov\""}],"events":[{"id":"4ecab262-26ae-4095-9e0e-237df0ab96db","date":"2022-02","title":"Founded Velvet.Capital","type":"DEFAULT","description":"Vasily Nikonov founded Velvet.Capital, a DeFi asset management protocol, and assumed the role of CEO.","link":null,"multiDateStart":null,"multiDateEnd":null,"continent":null,"country":null},{"id":"0422bc5a-544c-439c-a557-b9994bccddc5","date":"2019-01","title":"Began MBA Program","type":"DEFAULT","description":"Nikonov started his Master of Business Administration (MBA) program at both INSEAD and The Wharton School.","link":null,"multiDateStart":null,"multiDateEnd":null,"continent":null,"country":null},{"id":"20a593ef-536d-42c6-a431-1ad459c22ec3","date":"2019-06","title":"Worked at LongHash Ventures","type":"DEFAULT","description":"While pursuing his MBA, Nikonov worked as a Venture Builder at LongHash Ventures, supporting international startups.","link":null,"multiDateStart":null,"multiDateEnd":null,"continent":null,"country":null},{"id":"6cc08a5d-5a77-4676-8e4d-1f32775f24c5","date":"2015-06","title":"Joined Boston Consulting Group","type":"DEFAULT","description":"Nikonov began his extensive career at the Boston Consulting Group (BCG) as a Visiting Associate.","link":null,"multiDateStart":null,"multiDateEnd":null,"continent":null,"country":null}],"user":{"id":"0x8af7a19a26d8fbc48defb35aefb15ec8c407f889"},"author":{"id":"0x8af7a19a26d8fbc48defb35aefb15ec8c407f889"},"operator":{"id":"0x4a2bC97afBF41a2Cbf4b4628F63420682Ff4CF2a"},"language":"en","version":1,"linkedWikis":{"blockchains":[],"founders":[],"speakers":[]}}