The Rise of Female Power: A Legendary Journey from Wall Street to Blockchain

In this rapidly changing era, women are writing their own legendary stories across various fields with unique perspectives and resilient determination. Today, we will focus on Annabelle, the CEO of Altius, whose experiences not only reflect personal growth but also vividly illustrate the rise of female empowerment in the waves of the times.

From Finance to Blockchain: An Unusual Career Journey

In 2011, Annabelle entered Carnegie Mellon University to study Mathematics and Finance. Influenced by her family, she developed a strong interest in science and engineering. Her university experience laid the foundation for her future career transition.

After graduating, Annabelle entered Wall Street with excellent grades and worked for several well-known financial institutions. However, as financial regulations became increasingly strict, she felt that the innovation space in traditional finance was limited and began to consider exploring new fields.

The ICO wave in 2017 brought "crypto finance" into the view of more people. Several of Annabelle's university alumni founded a decentralized exchange, introduced her to knowledge about Blockchain and the Ethereum ecosystem, and invited her to join. In 2018, Annabelle officially entered the crypto finance field, serving as the Asia head of a decentralized exchange, responsible for expanding the Asian market.

In this job, Annabelle gained an in-depth 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 realized 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.

From 0 to 1: Innovation Sparks Infinite Possibilities

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

During her six years at a leading cryptocurrency financial services company, Annabelle led the team in developing multiple new products from 0 to 1, exploring new business opportunities and establishing new brands. She experienced the company's comprehensive development journey from initially offering hedge fund products to later engaging in liquidity-related secondary market trading, and even primary market investments and incubation.

However, as the company gradually matured and stabilized, Annabelle developed new ideas. She personally preferred the innovation process from 0 to 1, including the development of new businesses, new products, and new technologies. Therefore, she decided to embark on a new entrepreneurial journey.

In 2024, Annabelle founded Altius Labs. The company is dedicated to developing a modular execution stack that is independent of virtual machines, aiming to fundamentally address issues such as network congestion, high transaction costs, and insufficient scalability that exist in traditional Blockchain systems.

Pursuing Sustainable Development: Balancing Work and Life

As a woman leader who continuously challenges herself, Annabelle admits that the crypto finance industry has not only helped her achieve her dreams but also set high demands on her. In the face of significant changes in the industry and market fluctuations, maintaining rationality and calm thinking is a huge challenge.

"In the early stages of my startup, I felt like I was sprinting every day, and I was quite impatient, always hoping to see results in a short period of time," Annabelle recalled. "But after experiencing several industry cycles, I now focus more on 'sustainability' and seek a long-term effective way of working and living."

Today, Annabelle still focuses on work, but she no longer solely "executes" and "pursues quick results"; instead, she emphasizes "thinking" and "evaluating" more. She also conveys this philosophy to the team: "When facing a problem, it is more important to accurately assess the severity, importance, and priority of the issue than to respond and act immediately. It is better to take more time to evaluate than to make hasty decisions."

Encourage more women to join the Web3 industry

Annabelle is very optimistic about the prospects of the Web3 industry and is willing to work deeply 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.

"From my observation, female leaders and team members tend to adapt better to this volatile market," Annabelle said. "They don't get overly excited during industry booms, nor do they become excessively disheartened during downturns; their emotions are relatively stable. This is an advantage women have in this industry, and they are often more adept at sensing the emotional changes in others, possessing stronger empathy."

Annabelle encourages more young women to join this industry. She summarized: "The best way to learn is to try, whether it's joining a mature company to gain experience, participating in startups to become a trendsetter of the times, or starting your own business, never miss any opportunity. Success or failure is all part of growth."

In the face of difficulties and challenges, even failure, Annabelle suggests "maintain a positive mindset, accumulate experience, and prepare for the next opportunity."

Finally, Annabelle provided young women with advice on filtering companies. She believes that when considering joining an early-stage company, the quality of the team is more important than the overall business direction. Integrity, honesty, and positive motivation are non-negotiable criteria.