Peter Smith

Peter Smith is a veteran cryptocurrency entrepreneur and the Co-Founder, Chief Executive Officer, and Executive Chairman of Blockchain.com, one of the world’s most widely used cryptocurrency platforms, serving tens of millions of retail users and thousands of institutions globally. He has been a central figure in the expansion of crypto wallets, exchanges, and institutional crypto markets since the early days of Bitcoin.

Smith grew up in rural America and developed a global perspective through living, studying, and working across the United States, Europe, the Middle East, East Africa, and Asia. He studied economics in graduate school at the University of London before entering international finance, where his experiences influenced his belief in cryptocurrency’s potential to expand financial freedom and reshape global finance.

In 2011, Smith co-founded Blockchain.com (originally Blockchain.info) with Nicolas Cary and Ben Reeves. The platform started with a Bitcoin blockchain explorer and wallet and later expanded into brokerage, exchange, and institutional financial services. Smith became CEO in 2014, raising a $40 million venture round; at the time the largest in crypto; and guiding the company through sustained growth and product innovation.

Under his leadership, Blockchain.com has grown into a major crypto infrastructure provider, with millions of wallets, a global exchange, and institutional markets offering trading, credit, and bespoke solutions while navigating industry cycles and regulatory challenges. Smith is frequently cited as a thought leader in fintech and digital assets, having been named a World Economic Forum Technology Pioneer and regularly speaking at industry conferences.

A long-term advocate for crypto adoption and open financial systems, Smith continues to push innovations that seek to make digital assets more accessible, secure, and integrated into global finance.