{"id":"joe-zhou","title":"Joe Zhou","content":"**Joe Zhou**  is the founder of [Manadia](https://iq.wiki/wiki/manadia), a [Web3](https://iq.wiki/wiki/web3) infrastructure protocol designed to coordinate data verification, [AI agent](https://iq.wiki/wiki/ai-agents) execution, and privacy-preserving settlement across on-chain and off-chain systems. He has also been active as a founder and operator across multiple ventures spanning fintech, gaming, and [blockchain](https://iq.wiki/wiki/blockchain) infrastructure. [\\[2\\]](#cite-id-wz6Ml2RwDiYjmQ8K)  \n\n## Education\n\nZhou graduated from the Questrom School of Business at Boston University with a BS in Finance and Entrepreneurship in 2015. [\\[1\\]](#cite-id-KDn7OYDwSEQTA8wa) \n\n## Career\n\nZhou began his career with Citi in 2011 as a Private Wealth Management Intern in Shanghai, where he worked on client-facing financial services within a traditional banking environment. During his time at Boston University, he founded the Boston University Trading Club in 2012 and led it until 2014, building a student organization focused on capital markets education through simulated trading and analytical training. He also served as CEO and founder of Against3.com from 2009 to 2011, an early entrepreneurial project.\n\nFrom 2014 to 2016, he founded and served as CEO of Alt-Options LLC, launching one of the first bitcoin options trading platforms in the United States. In parallel, he served as President of the Questrom Senior Mentor Program from 2014 to 2015 and worked on early-stage advisory and mentoring initiatives within the Boston University ecosystem. In 2016, he became a Global Entrepreneur in Residence at Babson College, a role he held until 2023, during which he focused on supporting entrepreneurial education and ecosystem development in the Greater Boston area.\n\nIn 2016, he founded FirstBlood, an esports-focused [blockchain](https://iq.wiki/wiki/blockchain) platform, which he led until 2025. Since 2021, he has been the founder of Mana Interactive Inc., a venture-backed neobank targeting gaming users with integrated financial services. Alongside his operating roles, he has been active as an angel investor since 2015, investing across pre-seed to Series A stages in sectors including fintech, gaming, [crypto](https://iq.wiki/wiki/cryptocurrency), and consumer brands, with a portfolio spanning multiple [blockchain](https://iq.wiki/wiki/blockchain) and technology companies.\n\nIn 2025, he founded [Mana](https://iq.wiki/wiki/manadia), a fintech company focused on rewarding gamers, which raised a seed round of over $7 million. He also launched Potion.gg, a gaming rewards platform, and introduced the Mana Card, a rewards-based banking product for gamers. [\\[4\\]](#cite-id-K11llZBljYrOqUas) \n\n![](https://ipfs.everipedia.org/ipfs/QmPKon55rKivhzkMFiybM5TKgRXpBN7WyK9K63KtfW28L6)","summary":"Joe Zhou is a fintech, gaming and Web3 founder. He founded Manadia/Mana, FirstBlood, Alt-Options and Mana Interactive, and has angel invested since 2015. Zhou earned a BS in Finance and Entrepreneurship from Boston University in 2015.","images":[{"id":"QmcRk7yHvYNt9jUFeT4RwqJdZ2vsa4FefZk54Jp1smvGJ7","type":"image/jpeg, image/png"}],"categories":[{"id":"people","title":"people"}],"tags":[{"id":"PeopleInDeFi"},{"id":"Founders"},{"id":"Games"},{"id":"Venture"}],"media":[{"id":"QmdtySyi26FnHKMx1Z9MVSLdDqTpc5NjXbQ5TdF2cfmR4w","type":"GALLERY","source":"IPFS_IMG"},{"id":"QmPKon55rKivhzkMFiybM5TKgRXpBN7WyK9K63KtfW28L6","name":"XUaZUfQRPd6Kr1Au.webp","caption":"","thumbnail":"QmPKon55rKivhzkMFiybM5TKgRXpBN7WyK9K63KtfW28L6","source":"IPFS_IMG"}],"metadata":[{"id":"references","value":"[\n  {\n    \"id\": \"KDn7OYDwSEQTA8wa\",\n    \"url\": \"https://www.linkedin.com/in/fbjoe/\",\n    \"description\": \"LinkedIn profile\",\n    \"timestamp\": 1777985431780\n  },\n  {\n    \"id\": \"wz6Ml2RwDiYjmQ8K\",\n    \"url\": \"https://www.mana.app/\",\n    \"description\": \"Mana site description\",\n    \"timestamp\": 1777985431780\n  },\n  {\n    \"id\": \"9W7MfTKnvFqMHUqc\",\n    \"url\": \"https://joe-z.org/\",\n    \"description\": \"Personal site\",\n    \"timestamp\": 1777985431780\n  },\n  {\n    \"id\": \"K11llZBljYrOqUas\",\n    \"url\": \"https://joe-z.org/journey\",\n    \"description\": \"Journey page\",\n    \"timestamp\": 1777985431780\n  },\n  {\n    \"id\": \"92pSgls3Ohmxym8F\",\n    \"url\": \"https://www.linkedin.com/in/fbjoe/details/experience/\",\n    \"description\": \"LinkedIn experience\",\n    \"timestamp\": 1777985431780\n  }\n]"},{"id":"website","value":"https://joe-z.org/"},{"id":"twitter_profile","value":"https://x.com/fbjoe"},{"id":"linkedin_profile","value":"https://www.linkedin.com/in/fbjoe/"},{"id":"commit-message","value":"\"Added Joe Zhou biography to people category\""}],"events":[{"id":"9e322681-c3b6-4c6d-a998-0a53bb261113","date":"2014-01","title":"Founded Alt-Options","type":"DEFAULT","description":"Founded Alt-Options LLC, launching an early bitcoin options trading platform in the U.S.","link":"https://www.linkedin.com/in/fbjoe/","continent":null,"country":null},{"id":"661af5c5-caa8-410f-b7dd-d4d24a8367ed","date":"2015-01","title":"Graduated from Boston University","type":"DEFAULT","description":"Completed a BS in Finance and Entrepreneurship at Boston University’s Questrom School of Business.","link":"https://www.linkedin.com/in/fbjoe/","continent":null,"country":null},{"id":"d1f0cd36-04bc-4f74-a841-e5b841de2519","date":"2016-01","title":"Founded FirstBlood","type":"DEFAULT","description":"Founded FirstBlood, an esports-focused blockchain platform, and led it through the mid‑2020s.","link":"https://joe-z.org/journey","continent":null,"country":null},{"id":"97f84df9-e7f9-4783-8ae7-ef8ebd097406","date":"2016-01","title":"Became Global Entrepreneur in Residence at Babson","type":"DEFAULT","description":"Joined Babson College as a Global Entrepreneur in Residence, supporting the Greater Boston startup ecosystem.","link":"https://www.linkedin.com/in/fbjoe/","continent":null,"country":null},{"id":"27dccecd-3a38-4c2f-8374-79b51584968e","date":"2021-01","title":"Founded Mana Interactive Inc.","type":"DEFAULT","description":"Founded Mana Interactive Inc., a venture-backed neobank targeting gamers with integrated financial services.","link":"https://www.linkedin.com/in/fbjoe/","continent":null,"country":null},{"id":"543d8f86-0d93-4c5e-95b8-7df6bdc578d1","date":"2025-01","title":"Founded Mana and raised seed over $7M","type":"DEFAULT","description":"Founded Mana (Manadia/Mana) focused on rewarding gamers; launched Potion.gg and Mana Card; reported seed raise over $7M.","link":"https://joe-z.org/journey","continent":null,"country":null}],"user":{"id":"0x8af7a19a26d8fbc48defb35aefb15ec8c407f889"},"author":{"id":"0x8af7a19a26d8fbc48defb35aefb15ec8c407f889"},"operator":{"id":"0xacb6c5AD52b8f605299B0d774CE97F26e3DB80c2"},"language":"en","version":1,"linkedWikis":{"blockchains":[],"founders":[],"speakers":[]}}