Diogo Mónica

Diogo Mónica is a Portuguese-American entrepreneur and engineer, known for co-founding Anchorage Digital, a leading cryptocurrency and digital asset platform. He currently serves as the Executive Chairman of Anchorage Digital and has a notable background in cybersecurity, having previously held key positions at Square (now Block) and Docker.

Early Life and Education

Mónica was born in California but grew up primarily in Portugal, where his father served in the Portuguese Navy. He pursued his education at the Instituto Superior Técnico (IST) in Lisbon, earning a bachelor's degree in telecommunications and informatics engineering, a master's degree in communication networks engineering, and a PhD in computer science, focusing on network security.13

Career

Mónica's professional journey began at Square, where he worked as the lead security engineer and later contributed to Docker as the security lead. His work at these companies involved significant advancements in security protocols, and he is credited with holding a patent for the Square card reader alongside Jack Dorsey.14

In 2017, Mónica co-founded Anchorage Digital with Nathan McCauley, aiming to create a secure platform for institutional investors in the cryptocurrency space. Under their leadership, Anchorage Digital became the first federally chartered cryptocurrency bank in the U.S., achieving a valuation exceeding $3 billion by 2021.125

Recently, Mónica has transitioned to the role of Executive Chairman at Anchorage Digital while also becoming a General Partner at Haun Ventures, focusing on angel investing in the crypto ecosystem.256 He has invested in over 100 startups, emphasizing his commitment to fostering innovation in the Web3 space.45

Mónica's contributions to the tech industry, particularly in cybersecurity and cryptocurrency, have earned him recognition, including a spot on Fortune's 40 Under 40 list in 2020.3