From Wall Street to Blockchain: An Innovative Journey of a Female Leader

In this ever-changing era, women are writing their own legendary stories in various fields with unique perspectives and resilient determination. Today we want to share the experiences of Annabelle, the CEO of Altius, whose story not only showcases the legend of personal growth but also reflects the rise of female power in the tide of the times.

A Technical Background Paves the Way for Career

In 2011, Annabelle entered Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) to study Mathematics and Finance. Her choice of major was largely influenced by her family. Her father worked in finance, while her mother focused on physics and structural engineering, and this family environment nurtured her strong interest in science and engineering. Annabelle admitted that it was her experience at CMU that laid the foundation for several transitions in her later career.

After graduation, Annabelle entered Wall Street with excellent grades and worked for several well-known financial institutions. "My experience on Wall Street quickly expanded my horizons and accumulated industry experience and insights. However, for me, this was a path where I could clearly see the end goal." Due to increasingly strict financial regulations, Annabelle felt that the space for innovation in traditional financial institutional products was limited. "At that time, I was thinking about whether I could try some new fields," she said.

Crypto Finance: New Opportunities

In 2017, the booming cryptocurrency market opened new doors for Annabelle. Several of her college alumni founded a decentralized exchange, introduced her to the knowledge of Blockchain and the Ethereum ecosystem, and invited her to join. Annabelle embraced the challenge without hesitation and officially entered the field of crypto finance.

In her new job, Annabelle gained a deep understanding of the operational mechanisms and technical challenges of decentralized finance (DeFi), especially the potential and limitations of Blockchain technology in terms of transaction efficiency and security. She realized the lagging nature of traditional finance in the clearing and transaction processes and is determined to leverage Blockchain technology to expand the application scenarios of traditional finance.

From 0 to 1: Innovation Sparks Passion

Annabelle is not just working; she is constantly thinking and creating, enjoying the process of going from 0 to 1. At the end of 2018, faced with the widespread issue of insufficient on-chain liquidity in the industry, she decided to leverage her background and experience in investment banking to build a liquidity provider to supply liquidity for decentralized trading platforms.

In her subsequent work, Annabelle led the team to complete the research and development of several new products from 0 to 1, expanded new businesses, and created new brands. "From the earliest hedge fund products to later liquidity-related secondary market trading products, and then to primary market investments, even incubation, I believe it has basically tried all the businesses that can be done in this field, and it is already a mature and stable platform," she reflected.

In 2024, Annabelle founded Altius Labs with the aim of fundamentally addressing issues such as network congestion, high transaction costs, and insufficient scalability in blockchain systems by developing a modular execution stack that is independent of virtual machines (VM).

Pursuing Sustainable Development

As a female leader who enjoys challenging herself, Annabelle admits that the cryptocurrency finance industry not only fulfills her dreams but also demands a lot from her. Facing the tremendous changes in the industry and the volatility of the market, maintaining rationality and calm thinking is a test.

"In the early days of entrepreneurship, I felt like I was sprinting a hundred meters every day. At that time, I was quite impatient and always hoped to see results in a short period of time," Annabelle said. "However, after going through several industry cycles, I now think more about 'sustainability' and seek a way of working and living that can be effective in the long term."

She not only practices this concept herself but also passes it on to the team: "When faced with a situation, rather than responding and executing immediately, it is more important to be able to assess the severity and importance of the matter, including priority. I think this is actually more important; it is better to take a bit more time to evaluate."

Outlook for the Future

Annabelle stated that she is very optimistic about the future of the Web3 industry and is willing to work more deeply and experiment with the team in this field. She is delighted to see more and more young women entering this industry and having the opportunity to become independent female leaders.

"In fact, from my observations, including those of the female leaders around me and the women in my team, they are more adaptable to this volatile market. They do not show particularly excited emotions during the industry's booming period, nor do they feel lost during the industry's downturn; instead, their emotions tend to be relatively stable." Annabelle said, "I think this is the advantage of women in this industry, and they are also more sensitive to the emotional changes of others, with a better ability to empathize."

Annabelle encourages more young women to enter this industry. She summarized: "In fact, the best way to learn is: to try, whether it's joining a mature company to accumulate industry experience, joining a startup team to become a pioneer of the times, or starting your own business. Don't miss any opportunity. Regardless of success or failure, it's all part of growth."

In the face of difficulties and challenges, she suggested, "Maintain a good mindset, accumulate experience, and continue to prepare for the next battle." Finally, Annabelle also reminded young women to prioritize the quality of the team in early-stage companies when making their choices. Integrity, honesty, and positive motivation are standards that must not be compromised, and these are even more important than the overall business direction.