{"id":"mike-cagney","hidden":false,"ipfs":"QmQdDGjYijZma9E9HjNqrtAdLHcvUHYBtSnBVRwv9H4yEs","language":"en","transactionHash":"0xda00ecb630d638ac3c7a3da946faf10cc9d91cb996147d2ee4eed17444ad5ae7","created":"2025-10-03T18:48:34.092Z","updated":"2026-09-16T10:29:10.893Z","title":"Mike Cagney","summary":"Mike Cagney is a fintech entrepreneur best known as co-founder of SoFi, Figure Technology Solutions and the Provenance blockchain. As of 2026 he is executive chairman of Figure and co-founder and CEO of The Wallet Co.","content":"**Michael \"Mike\" Cagney** is an American financial technology entrepreneur and investor, known as the co-founder of Social Finance ([SoFi](https://iq.wiki/wiki/sofi-technologies)), [Figure](https://iq.wiki/wiki/figure) Technology Solutions, and the [Provenance](https://iq.wiki/wiki/provenance) Blockchain. His career has focused on applying technology, from early derivative pricing models to [blockchain](https://iq.wiki/wiki/blockchain) infrastructure, to innovate in lending, capital markets, and asset management.[\\[1\\]](#cite-id-uwYJS2BTpX)​[\\[8\\]](#cite-id-aSMji3fd7X) \n\n## Education\n\nCagney attended the University of California, Santa Cruz, where he completed both a Bachelor of Arts in Economics and a Master of Science in Applied Economics in 1994. He later continued his education at the Stanford University Graduate School of Business, earning a Master of Science in Management as a Sloan Fellow in 2011.[\\[6\\]](#cite-id-GO5yI9jMzg)​\n\n## Career\n\nCagney began his career at Wells Fargo in 1994 as an analyst, developing C++ code to price derivatives. He later led the financial products group, managing structured product development, derivative trading, and proprietary trading, overseeing a $25 million daily VaR with consistently high returns. In 2000, he left Wells Fargo to co-found Finaplex, a wealth management software company serving major financial institutions. At Finaplex, he directed product strategy, professional services, and sales, raising over $39 million in venture funding before the company was acquired by Broadridge Financial Solutions in 2007.\n\nFrom 2005 to 2016, Cagney co-founded and managed Cabezon Investment Group, a global macro hedge fund serving family office clients, focusing on concentrated and directional trades across multiple asset classes. During this period, he also served as board chair of ReFlow Services, providing liquidity and tax management solutions for mutual funds, ensuring sufficient capital for operations. In 2011, while at Stanford Graduate School of Business, Cagney co-founded Social Finance (SoFi), where he served as CEO and board chair until 2017. He led product strategy, launched the first non-bank consumer rated securitization, and grew the company to profitability with nearly 500,000 members. SoFi expanded to offer mortgages, personal loans, wealth management, and life insurance, funding over $20 billion in loans and achieving a valuation exceeding $4 billion by the time of his departure amid workplace controversies.\n\nIn 2018, Cagney co-founded [Figure](https://iq.wiki/wiki/figure) Technology Solutions with his wife, [June Ou](https://iq.wiki/wiki/june-ou), focusing on [blockchain](https://iq.wiki/wiki/blockchain)-based financial products and marketplaces. [Figure](https://iq.wiki/wiki/figure) introduced the first consumer loan on-chain, loan securitizations, and a bank-issued [stablecoin](https://iq.wiki/wiki/stablecoin). In 2024, Figure was separated into Figure and Figure Markets, with Cagney serving as chairman of Figure and CEO of the newly formed Figure Markets, which launched the $[YLDS](https://iq.wiki/wiki/ylds) yield-bearing [stablecoin](https://iq.wiki/wiki/stablecoin) and a [DeFi](https://iq.wiki/wiki/defi) lending protocol called Democratized Prime, along with the Forge marketplace for standardized, tokenized loan pools.[[17]](#cite-id-4t3ql4o8lg) In 2025, the entities were recombined, and Cagney took the role of executive chairman of Figure while continuing to promote DeFi-based capital markets across its platforms.[[1]](#cite-id-uwYJS2BTpX) By early 2026, Figure reported that it was approaching $30 billion in cumulative loan originations and crossed $1 billion in monthly originations for the first time in March 2026 as its tokenized credit marketplace scaled, supported by products such as [YLDS](https://iq.wiki/wiki/ylds) and Democratized Prime.[[17]](#cite-id-4t3ql4o8lg) In 2026, Figure also launched the OPEN (On-Chain Public Equity Network) platform to enable native equity issuance and trading on the [Provenance](https://iq.wiki/wiki/provenance) [blockchain](https://iq.wiki/wiki/blockchain), stating plans to make its Nasdaq-listed shares interchangeable with blockchain-registered equity issued through OPEN.[[16]](#cite-id-0lk6pceoz3) Cagney and Ou also founded [Provenance Blockchain](https://iq.wiki/wiki/provenance), a public [proof-of-stake](https://iq.wiki/wiki/proof-of-stake) [Layer 1](https://iq.wiki/wiki/layer-1) chain, which became the largest public [blockchain](https://iq.wiki/wiki/blockchain) by [real-world assets](https://iq.wiki/wiki/real-world-assets-rwas) in 2025.[[7]](#cite-id-q46UXPZPtf)\n\n### Figure Technology Solutions IPO\n\nAfter leaving SoFi in 2017, Cagney co-founded [Figure](https://iq.wiki/wiki/figure) Technology Solutions in 2018 and, in August 2025, the company filed confidentially with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission for an initial public offering, reportedly seeking a valuation of up to about $4.13 billion. In September 2025, [Figure](https://iq.wiki/wiki/figure) priced its IPO at $25 per share, above its expected range of $20–22 per share, raising $787.5 million and debuting on Nasdaq under the ticker FIGR with an initial market value of roughly $6.6 billion. Following the debut, Figure’s shares were reported to have risen by around 40–44% in early trading, in an offering led by Goldman Sachs, Jefferies, and BofA Securities.\n\nCagney serves as co-founder and executive chairman of Figure, while [June Ou](https://iq.wiki/wiki/june-ou) is co-founder and president. Figure operates a [blockchain](https://iq.wiki/wiki/blockchain) platform for lending, trading, and investing in consumer credit and digital assets built on its [Provenance](https://iq.wiki/wiki/provenance) [blockchain](https://iq.wiki/wiki/blockchain), and has originated more than $16 billion in home equity lines of credit (HELOCs) using this technology. The company reports that its process typically funds home equity loans in about 10 days, compared with an industry average of about 42 days for similar products. For the twelve months ended June 30, 2025, Figure facilitated about $6 billion in home equity lending, generated $190.6 million in revenue in the first half of 2025 (up roughly 22% year over year), and reported $29.4 million in net income compared with a $13.4 million loss in the first half of 2024. In a Yahoo Finance interview in September 2025, Cagney described blockchain’s potential to reduce the number of intermediaries in transactions, using the stock market as an example, and argued that blockchain allows companies to displace reliance on institutional trust with verifiable records. Following the post-listing share price increase, Bloomberg’s Billionaires Index estimated Cagney’s net worth at about $1.9 billion as of September 2025, his first appearance on the index, with the estimate attributing most of his wealth to his holdings of Figure shares and assuming that he had sold his SoFi stake after stepping down in 2017.\n\n### The Wallet Co\nIn August 2026, Cagney, as co-founder and CEO, introduced an early-stage venture called The Wallet Co, describing it as a mobile application intended to combine modern fintech-style usability with self-custody and blockchain-native products, built by members of the teams that founded SoFi and [Figure](https://iq.wiki/wiki/figure).[[1]](#cite-id-uwYJS2BTpX) In his own characterization of the still-developing product, he has outlined planned features such as yield-generating cash, real-world-asset yield, securities-linked prediction markets, and an AI agent embedded in the wallet, presenting these elements as prospective capabilities rather than fully launched offerings.\n\n## Interviews\n\n### On-Chain Capital Markets\n\nOn _Crypto In America_ in October 2025, Cagney discussed the company's recent IPO that valued it at $7.6 billion on the NASDAQ. He emphasized the transformative potential of [blockchain](https://iq.wiki/wiki/blockchain) technology in capital markets, highlighting its ability to reduce intermediation and facilitate direct transactions, which could reallocate a significant portion of [market capitalization](https://iq.wiki/wiki/market-capitalization) to consumers. Cagney shared insights on how his experience in consumer lending at SoFi informed his approach at [Figure](https://iq.wiki/wiki/figure), where the focus shifted to utilizing [blockchain](https://iq.wiki/wiki/blockchain) for more efficient lending processes. He reflected on the enthusiasm surrounding [Figure](https://iq.wiki/wiki/figure)'s IPO and the importance of leveraging capital for growth, expressing aspirations to pioneer new [blockchain](https://iq.wiki/wiki/blockchain) applications beyond the mortgage industry, including developing a blockchain-native public equity and addressing banking sector changes driven by recent regulatory shifts.[\\[2\\]](#cite-id-8mg6O0yUmn)​\n\n[YOUTUBE@VID](https://youtube.com/watch?v=iCKB_Cj2DcM)\n\n### Rebuilding Finance\n\nIn a conversation with Ash Bennington on _Real Vision_ in September 2025, Cagney recounted the inception of his company, [Figure](https://iq.wiki/wiki/figure), in 2018, which aimed to [leverage](https://iq.wiki/wiki/leverage) [blockchain](https://iq.wiki/wiki/blockchain) technology to transform the finance sector by enhancing capital markets. Cagney outlined how [blockchain](https://iq.wiki/wiki/blockchain) could replace traditional intermediaries, thereby creating a more efficient environment for transactions, especially in asset-backed securities. He discussed his prior experience with SoFi and how his observations of banking inefficiencies propelled his interest in decentralization and direct lending models. Throughout the discussion, Cagney emphasized the benefits of transactional efficiency, liquidity, and financing possibilities enabled by [blockchain](https://iq.wiki/wiki/blockchain), as well as the challenges facing the industry, including regulatory hurdles and the need for the sector to mature to keep pace with shifting financial landscapes. As he looked ahead, Cagney expressed optimism about [DeFi's](https://iq.wiki/wiki/defi) potential to fill gaps left by traditional banking, particularly in the context of significant potential deposit outflows from banks as economic conditions shift.[\\[4\\]](#cite-id-C8vNJdU8xh)​\n\n[YOUTUBE@VID](https://youtube.com/watch?v=FtV1ap4IROs)\n\n### Everything Exchange\n\nOn [The Wolf of All Streets](https://iq.wiki/wiki/scott-melker-the-wolf-of-all-streets) podcast in August 2025, Cagney revealed that [Figure](https://iq.wiki/wiki/figure) has executed over $50 billion in [real-world asset](https://iq.wiki/wiki/real-world-assets-rwas) lending transactions on the [Provenance](https://iq.wiki/wiki/provenance) [blockchain](https://iq.wiki/wiki/blockchain) and is a rapidly growing platform, recently adding $850 million in loans in just one month. Cagney highlighted the potential for a significant portion of the $18 trillion in bank deposits to transition into [cryptocurrency](https://iq.wiki/wiki/cryptocurrency), largely driven by new legislation, such as the [Genius Act](https://iq.wiki/wiki/genius-act), which emphasizes [decentralized finance (DeFi)](https://iq.wiki/wiki/defi). He explained how [Figure](https://iq.wiki/wiki/figure) aimed to transform capital markets by originating loans on the [blockchain](https://iq.wiki/wiki/blockchain), thereby facilitating faster access to funds without the need for traditional intermediaries. The conversation touched on the evolving landscape of financial services, with Cagney foreseeing a competition between Wall Street's traditional infrastructure and new decentralized systems that could redefine lending and asset management, ultimately benefiting consumers through improved rates and reduced reliance on banks.[\\[3\\]](#cite-id-3je90Lz9k8)​\n\n[YOUTUBE@VID](https://youtube.com/watch?v=YHK3329BvUg)\n\n### Blockchain Lending\n\nIn an interview with [Jake Claver](https://iq.wiki/wiki/jake-claver) in June 2025, Cagney discussed the potential of [blockchain](https://iq.wiki/wiki/blockchain) to disrupt traditional banking through efficient lending mechanisms that [leverage](https://iq.wiki/wiki/leverage) native digital assets. He shared his insights on the limitations of conventional loan origination and the advantages of using [blockchain](https://iq.wiki/wiki/blockchain) technology, including reducing transactional friction and enabling real-time, bilateral transactions. Cagney highlighted the increased security of lending against digital assets like [Bitcoin](https://iq.wiki/wiki/bitcoin) and described how his company had successfully originated significant loans utilizing [blockchain](https://iq.wiki/wiki/blockchain), revealing plans to integrate more assets into [decentralized finance (DeFi)](https://iq.wiki/wiki/defi) platforms. He addressed the implications of upcoming [stablecoin](https://iq.wiki/wiki/stablecoin) legislation, suggesting that such regulatory developments could lead to a significant shift in the financial landscape, resulting in a migration of deposits from banks to other financial instruments. Cagney emphasized the transformative potential of [DeFi](https://iq.wiki/wiki/defi), demonstrating a clear vision for [Figure](https://iq.wiki/wiki/figure) Markets' role in the evolving financial ecosystem.[\\[5\\]](#cite-id-4DDTWOMppx)​\n\n[YOUTUBE@VID](https://youtube.com/watch?v=OSsl_a5buuI)\n\n​\n\n​","recentActivity":null,"operator":{"id":"0x1E23b34d3106F0C1c74D17f2Cd0F65cdb039b138"},"categories":[{"id":"people","title":"People in crypto"}],"tags":[{"id":"Layer 1"},{"id":"Founder"}],"images":[{"id":"QmcqH4CrnpycUvsVAhkFqZLoWbwFkK5nriRfFWQ6UHnhPB","type":"image/jpeg, image/png"}],"media":[{"name":null,"id":"QmbqPLLWSitGtFSNRBsyNxwuhQtR4zgTgyxUA4McCn3HVF","size":null,"type":"GALLERY","source":"IPFS_IMG"},{"name":null,"id":"QmXPxPBTVzARrX2FK6V12KR9fXCR4RvYEvJk8VwtVALZ1i","size":null,"type":"GALLERY","source":"IPFS_IMG"},{"name":null,"id":"QmY61y8zEE7EAAEbHS1Nnzh3mDJR9dUxNFxm1KR9nqCkag","size":null,"type":"GALLERY","source":"IPFS_IMG"},{"name":"Um79Z72zRZk","id":"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Um79Z72zRZk","size":null,"type":null,"source":"YOUTUBE"},{"name":"uhqr7k5wCHQ","id":"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uhqr7k5wCHQ","size":null,"type":null,"source":"YOUTUBE"},{"name":"iCKB_Cj2DcM","id":"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iCKB_Cj2DcM","size":null,"type":null,"source":"YOUTUBE"},{"name":"FtV1ap4IROs","id":"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FtV1ap4IROs","size":null,"type":null,"source":"YOUTUBE"},{"name":"YHK3329BvUg","id":"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YHK3329BvUg","size":null,"type":null,"source":"YOUTUBE"},{"name":"OSsl_a5buuI","id":"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OSsl_a5buuI","size":null,"type":null,"source":"YOUTUBE"}],"linkedWikis":{"founders":[],"blockchains":["provenance"],"speakers":[]},"events":[{"id":"542e8407-7da3-4cf5-9fad-69bdbf1c642d","type":null,"date":"2011-01-01","multiDateStart":null,"multiDateEnd":null,"country":null,"continent":null,"title":"Co-founded Social Finance (SoFi)","description":"Co-founded Social Finance (SoFi) while attending Stanford Graduate School of Business, serving as its CEO and board chair until 2017.","link":null},{"id":"3b4ebd15-f4db-42c4-8a4b-d3a643779649","type":null,"date":"1994-01-01","multiDateStart":null,"multiDateEnd":null,"country":null,"continent":null,"title":"Graduated from UC Santa Cruz","description":"Graduated from the University of California, Santa Cruz, with a BA in Economics and an MS in Applied Economics.","link":null},{"id":"caab5bae-44b6-4859-9512-44733959bc80","type":null,"date":"2017-09-01","multiDateStart":null,"multiDateEnd":null,"country":null,"continent":null,"title":"Departed from SoFi","description":"Resigned as CEO of SoFi in September 2017 amid workplace controversies, stating that media coverage had become a distraction for the company.","link":null},{"id":"e4612182-a517-4cd4-9843-c96afa0f4662","type":null,"date":"2025-10-01","multiDateStart":null,"multiDateEnd":null,"country":null,"continent":null,"title":"Figure IPO on NASDAQ","description":"The recombined Figure entity went public on the NASDAQ under the ticker FIGR, achieving a valuation of $7.6 billion.","link":"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iCKB_Cj2DcM"}],"founderWikis":[],"blockchainWikis":[{"id":"provenance","title":"Provenance"}],"metadata":[{"id":"twitter_profile","value":"https://twitter.com/mcagney"},{"id":"website","value":"https://www.mikecagney.com/"},{"id":"words-changed","value":"8"},{"id":"percent-changed","value":"0.42"},{"id":"blocks-changed","value":"content, tags, summary"},{"id":"wiki-score","value":"91"},{"id":"references","value":"[{\"id\":\"uwYJS2BTpX\",\"description\":\"Mike Cagney website\",\"timestamp\":1759517928095,\"url\":\"https://www.mikecagney.com/\"},{\"id\":\"8mg6O0yUmn\",\"url\":\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iCKB\\\\_Cj2DcM\\\\&pp=ygULbWlrZSBjYWduZXk%3D\",\"description\":\"Figure's $7.6 Billion IPO interview\",\"timestamp\":1759517121807},{\"id\":\"3je90Lz9k8\",\"url\":\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YHK3329BvUg\\\\&pp=ygULbWlrZSBjYWduZXk%3D\",\"description\":\"Will Bitcoin And DeFi End Wall Street? interview\",\"timestamp\":1759517121807},{\"id\":\"C8vNJdU8xh\",\"url\":\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FtV1ap4IROs\\\\&pp=ygULbWlrZSBjYWduZXk%3D\",\"description\":\"Blockchain’s Big Leap: Mike Cagney on Rebuilding Finance\",\"timestamp\":1759517121807},{\"id\":\"4DDTWOMppx\",\"url\":\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OSsl\\\\_a5buuI\\\\&pp=ygULbWlrZSBjYWduZXk%3D\",\"description\":\"Figure Markets CEO: Will Blockchain Lending Replace Banks?\",\"timestamp\":1759517121807},{\"id\":\"GO5yI9jMzg\",\"description\":\"Cagney Education | LinkedIn\",\"timestamp\":1759517652205,\"url\":\"https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikecagney/details/education/\"},{\"id\":\"q46UXPZPtf\",\"description\":\"Cagney Experience | LinkedIn\",\"timestamp\":1759517699660,\"url\":\"https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikecagney/details/experience/\"},{\"id\":\"aSMji3fd7X\",\"description\":\"Figure Lending\",\"timestamp\":1759517976793,\"url\":\"https://www.figure.com/\"},{\"id\":\"0lk6pceoz3\",\"url\":\"https://www.coindesk.com/business/2026/01/14/figure-joins-stock-tokenization-race-with-new-trading-platform-backed-by-bitgo-jump\",\"description\":\"Figure joins stock tokenization race with OPEN\",\"timestamp\":1789871310700},{\"id\":\"4t3ql4o8lg\",\"url\":\"https://www.coindesk.com/business/2026/05/03/mike-cagney-s-second-act-turning-blockchain-into-wall-streets-new-plumbing\",\"description\":\"Turning blockchain into Wall Street’s new plumbing\",\"timestamp\":1789871310700}]"},{"id":"previous_cid","value":"QmQdDGjYijZma9E9HjNqrtAdLHcvUHYBtSnBVRwv9H4yEs"},{"id":"commit-message","value":"Expand Mike Cagney summary by 107 words"},{"id":"previous_cid","value":"QmQdDGjYijZma9E9HjNqrtAdLHcvUHYBtSnBVRwv9H4yEs"}],"user":{"id":"0x8af7a19a26d8fbc48defb35aefb15ec8c407f889"},"author":{"id":"0x1E23b34d3106F0C1c74D17f2Cd0F65cdb039b138"},"views":576}