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Wenceslao Casares
Wenceslao Casares, commonly known as Wences Casares, is a prominent Argentinian entrepreneur and businessman, particularly recognized for his contributions to the fintech industry. Born on February 26, 1974, in Patagonia, Argentina, he has established a significant presence in Silicon Valley and is currently the Chief People Officer at Bling Nation.
Early Life and Education
Casares grew up in a family of sheep ranchers and was awarded a Rotary Club scholarship that allowed him to study in Washington, Pennsylvania. He later returned to Argentina to pursue business administration at the University of San Andrés but dropped out after three years to launch Internet Argentina, the country's first Internet Service Provider, in 1994.
Career Highlights
- Patagon: In 1997, he founded Patagon, an online brokerage that became a leading financial services portal in Latin America. The company was acquired by Banco Santander for $750 million.
- Wanako Games: Casares founded this video game developer in 2002, which was known for the game "Assault Heroes" and was later acquired by Activision.
- Lemon Wallet: He also launched Lemon Wallet, a digital wallet platform that was sold to LifeLock for approximately $43 million.
- Xapo: Currently, he serves as the CEO of Xapo Bank, which is recognized as one of the largest custodians of Bitcoin globally. He has played a pivotal role in advocating for Bitcoin investment among notable figures in technology.
Philanthropic Involvement
Casares is actively involved in various philanthropic efforts and is recognized as a member of the World Economic Forum's "Young Global Leaders" class of 2011. He has served on boards for organizations like Kiva and Endeavor and is a Henry Crown Fellow at the Aspen Institute.
Current Role
As Chief People Officer at Bling Nation, Casares continues to influence the fintech landscape while focusing on organizational culture and talent management within the company.
His extensive experience in founding and managing multiple successful ventures highlights his entrepreneurial spirit and commitment to innovation in technology and finance.
