From Wall Street to Encryption Finance: An Extraordinary Journey of a Female Leader

In today's era, we are delighted to see more and more women shining in various fields, writing their own legendary stories with unique perspectives and resilient determination. Today, we want to share the story of Annabelle, the CEO of Altius. Her experience is not only a model of personal growth but also a vivid portrayal of the rise of women's power in the tide of the times.

From STEM Background to Wall Street Elite

In 2011, Annabelle entered the world-renowned Carnegie Mellon University to study Mathematics and Finance. Her decision to choose a STEM field was largely influenced by her family. Her father works in finance while her mother focuses on physics and structural engineering, and this family environment naturally cultivated her strong interest in STEM. Annabelle admits that it was her university experience that laid the foundation for her future career transition.

After graduation, with excellent academic performance, Annabelle successfully entered Wall Street and worked for several internationally renowned financial institutions. This experience greatly expanded her horizons and accumulated valuable industry experience and insights. However, with increasingly stringent financial regulations, Annabelle realized that the innovation space for traditional financial products was limited and began to explore new development directions.

Opportunities and Challenges of Encryption Finance

In 2017, the ICO wave brought "encryption finance" to broader attention. At that time, several of Annabelle's university classmates founded a decentralized exchange, introduced her to the knowledge of blockchain and the Ethereum ecosystem, and invited her to join the team. Annabelle gladly accepted this opportunity and officially stepped into the field of encryption finance.

In her new job, Annabelle gained a deep understanding of the operational mechanisms and technical challenges of decentralized finance (DeFi), particularly the potential and limitations of blockchain technology in terms of transaction efficiency and security. She recognized the lag in traditional finance during the clearing and trading processes and is determined to leverage blockchain technology to expand the application scenarios of traditional finance.

The Innovative Journey from 0 to 1

Annabelle is not just an executor, but also a person who constantly thinks and innovates. At the end of 2018, faced with the common 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 that would offer liquidity support for decentralized trading platforms.

During this process, Annabelle came into contact with a like-minded company. She found that both parties were highly aligned in their future vision and development direction, both committed to becoming a bridge between traditional finance and encryption finance. Therefore, she decided to join this company to jointly create a globally leading blockchain financial services platform.

Over the next six years, Annabelle led the team in developing several new products from 0 to 1, expanding new businesses and establishing new brands. She personally experienced the company's comprehensive development process from the initial hedge fund products to liquidity-related secondary market trading products, and even to primary market investments and project incubation.

Establishing Altius Labs: Solving Core Blockchain Issues

As the company's business gradually matured and stabilized, the challenge-loving Annabelle had a new idea. She personally prefers the innovation process from 0 to 1, including developing new businesses, new products, and trying new technologies. Therefore, she decided to embark on a new adventure and founded Altius Labs in 2024.

Annabelle realized the numerous issues present in traditional blockchain systems, such as network congestion, high transaction costs, and insufficient scalability. Her goal in founding Altius Labs is to fundamentally address these issues by developing a modular execution stack that is independent of virtual machines.

Leadership Philosophy for Sustainable Development

As a female leader who constantly challenges herself, Annabelle admits that the encryption financial industry has both fulfilled her dreams and placed high demands on her. Facing the huge changes in the industry and market fluctuations, maintaining rationality and calmly addressing issues is a significant test.

Annabelle shared: "In the early stages of entrepreneurship, I felt like I was sprinting a hundred meters every day, and my personality was quite impatient. I always hoped to see results in the short term. However, after experiencing several industry cycles, I now focus more on 'sustainability' and seek a long-term effective way of working and living."

Although work remains the focus of her life, Annabelle no longer simply "executes" and pursues "quick results"; instead, she engages more in "thinking" and "evaluating". She also conveys this philosophy to her team members, emphasizing that when facing problems, one should first accurately assess the severity, importance, and priority of the issue, and it is better to spend more time evaluating than to act hastily.

Advice for Young Women

Annabelle is confident about the future of the Web3 industry, and she has also seen more and more young women entering this field and growing into independent leaders. She has observed that women often adapt better to market fluctuations, staying calm during industry booms and not being overly pessimistic during downturns, exhibiting relatively stable emotions. Moreover, women tend to be better at sensing the emotional changes of others and possess stronger empathy.

Annabelle encourages more young women to join the industry, believing that the best way to learn is through trying: "Whether it's joining an established company to gain experience, participating in a startup team, or even starting your own business, don't miss any opportunity. Every attempt, regardless of success or failure, is an important part of growth."

When facing difficulties and challenges, she suggests maintaining a positive mindset, accumulating experience, and being prepared for the next opportunity. In choosing to join an early-stage company, Annabelle emphasizes the importance of team quality, believing that integrity, honesty, and positive motivation are non-negotiable standards, even more critical than business direction.

Annabelle's story showcases how a female leader continuously learns, adapts, and innovates in the rapidly changing encryption financial industry. Her experiences not only inspire more women to engage in this opportunity-filled field but also inject new vitality and perspectives into the development of the entire industry.