Ari Paul
Overview
Ari Paul is the co-founder and Chief Investment Officer of BlockTower Capital, a cryptocurrency investment firm. Before co-founding BlockTower Capital, he was a portfolio manager for the University of Chicago's $8 billion endowment, where he managed investments across various asset classes. He also served as a derivatives market maker and proprietary trader at Susquehanna International Group, focusing on options, commodities, and foreign exchange markets. Ari holds a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from the University of Pennsylvania and an MBA from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business, with concentrations in economics, entrepreneurship, strategic management, and econometrics & statistics. BlockTower Capital is a crypto and blockchain investment firm, applying professional trading, investing, and portfolio management to this digital asset class. It is funded by well-known investors such as Andreessen Horowitz and Union Square Ventures. Ari has been featured or quoted in Forbes, Business Insider, Bloomberg, Yahoo! Finance, CoinDesk, Cointelegraph, and The Block. He has appeared as a guest on Real Vision. He has also been associated with formal investment credentials and graduate-level finance training, which is often referenced in discussions about disciplined risk-taking in crypto markets. This background is frequently cited as part of BlockTower’s positioning as a manager aiming to bridge traditional allocator expectations with crypto-native opportunity sets. As with many crypto-focused managers and strategies, the environment in which Ari operates involves material risks. Digital asset markets remain susceptible to sharp drawdowns, liquidity gaps, and rapid changes in counterparty conditions. Regulatory developments can also influence exchange access, product availability, and the viability of certain yield or leverage-driven strategies. Readers evaluating investment approaches associated with Ari and BlockTower typically consider factors such as custody, leverage discipline, concentration risk, and the robustness of operational controls.
Investment Focus
- Strong understanding of blockchain and cryptocurrency markets
- Experience in traditional finance and portfolio management
- Ability to manage risk in volatile markets
- Interest in long-term investment horizons
Portfolio Companies
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Verified work email, phone and LinkedIn for the full team — one spreadsheet, one payment, yours to keep.
Unlock full contacts →Frequently asked questions about Ari Paul
What sectors does Ari Paul invest in?
Ari Paul invests in Financial Services, Technology, Healthcare, Energy, Real Estate and Media, and is based in Connecticut, United States. Ari Paul is listed as a private investment firm in the ConnectSafely investor database.
What stage does Ari Paul invest at?
Ari Paul backs companies at Early Stage, Growth and Late Stage, writing cheques of 1M - 50M.
Which regions does Ari Paul invest in?
Ari Paul invests across United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Germany, Japan and Australia.
What companies has Ari Paul invested in?
Ari Paul's portfolio includes Coinbase, OpenSea, Kraken and Ethereum.
How do I contact Ari Paul?
Ari Paul's contact details — including work email — are listed in the ConnectSafely investor database, along with its website and the LinkedIn profiles of the team.
Last updated · Source: ConnectSafely investor database
