Betsabe Botaitis is a finance executive and strategist, currently serving as the Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer at Hedera, a public distributed ledger technology (DLT) network. ^[7]

Education

Botaitis pursued an education in finance, earning both a Master of Science (MS) and a Master of Business Administration (MBA) in Finance from Golden Gate University in 2009. ^[8]

Career

Botaitis began her career in retail banking at Citibank de México in 1998, where she served for over four years. She later held a vice president role at Edukar Comercializadora from 2003 to 2009, overseeing finance and operations. In 2009, she joined Barclays Global Investors (later BlackRock) as a risk management associate, where she worked on operational risk strategies across trading and Latin American markets.

From 2010 to 2014, she held finance and operations leadership roles at Citi in the San Francisco Bay Area. Initially serving as vice president, she led FP&A and business intelligence efforts. She was later promoted to global director, overseeing finance, strategic planning, and regulatory compliance for Citi’s community initiatives. Botaitis then moved to LendingClub in 2014, where she directed finance for institutional investors and contributed to product launches and audit improvements.

She joined Kueski in 2016 as Vice President of Finance and Operations, managing multiple departments and leading a financial turnaround at the company. In 2017, she co-founded AIKON and served as its CFO, raising funding, establishing governance structures, and overseeing an acquisition to support digital asset infrastructure. She later became interim CEO and head of finance at Solidus Capital in 2022.

From 2020 to 2022, she served as Head of Finance at Uplift Inc., where she developed a scalable finance strategy and supported the company during the COVID-19 pandemic. She continued advising the company into 2023. In 2022, she also briefly served as interim CEO at Solidus Capital. That same year, she was appointed Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer at Hedera, where she currently oversees the financial strategy and operations.

Throughout her career, she has also served in advisory and board roles, including with the Nasdaq Entrepreneurial Center and HiPower. ^[9]

Interviews

Life Journey

In April 2025, Claudia Roman and Cynthia Klein Milner of the A LA LATINA podcast interviewed Botaitis. During the conversation, Botaitis shared insights from her challenging journey to success, reflecting on her immigrant background from Guadalajara, Mexico, and the barriers she faced in corporate America, particularly as a Latina. She emphasized that corporate environments are not meritocracies, highlighting the importance of networking and being strategic in one's approach to career advancement. Botaitis recounted experiences of overcoming adversity, including the struggle against a scarcity mentality within the Latino community, and the need for collective support. Throughout her career, Botaitis developed resilience and a commitment to continuous learning, leveraging her experiences to inspire others and advocate for more inclusivity in the workplace. The episode underscored her belief that what doesn’t kill you can make you stronger, illustrating her journey from humble beginnings to a prominent position in the fintech industry. ^[2]

Changing Blockchain

Botaitis joined the Her Money Moves podcast in January 2024 and shared her journey as an immigrant who has overcome significant challenges to achieve success. Reflecting on her early experiences, she described how her humble beginnings fueled her passion for financial inclusion, prompting her to pursue a career in finance despite the obstacles of language and cultural barriers. Starting as a bank teller in Mexico, she navigated various roles, including financial development in the United States, and ultimately co-founded a blockchain company. Her story emphasizes the importance of resilience, creativity, and leveraging technology to enhance financial literacy and alleviate poverty, particularly within underrepresented communities. Botaitis stressed the importance of persistence and the power of negotiation in securing fair opportunities, encouraging others to tap into their potential and advocate for their worth in professional settings. ^[1]

Creating Impact

In June 2024, the "Get Down" podcast hosted by Clev Mesidor featured an interview with Botaitis, who shared her journey from traditional finance to the blockchain sector. Botaitis reflected on her diverse career trajectory, having transitioned from large financial institutions to entrepreneurship and the emerging technology of Web3. She emphasized her commitment to financial inclusion, inspired by her experiences in community lending and microfinance, leading to her passion for leveraging technology to create lasting societal impacts. As she navigated the complexities of the blockchain environment, Botaitis articulated the importance of integrating financial systems with innovative technological solutions to improve access and efficiency, particularly for underserved communities. Her role at Hedera involves not only financial strategy but also advocating for trust and data integrity in the rapidly evolving digital finance landscape. ^[3]

Panels

Day as a CFO

During the Enterprise Digital Asset Summit (EDAS) 2024, the "A Day in the Life of a CFO" panel featured finance leaders from Web3 companies, who shared their experiences and challenges. Botaitis, Steph Lim (Magic Eden), and Pat White (Bitwave) discussed the unique demands placed on finance professionals in the rapidly evolving digital asset landscape. They emphasized the importance of balancing responsibilities between managing traditional fiat and digital assets, as well as the necessity for ongoing education and communication with stakeholders in both finance and technology sectors. Their roles included developing relationships with banks, navigating complex regulatory landscapes, and fostering an agile and innovative mindset within their teams. They highlighted the need to integrate advanced technologies and data analytics into their finance operations to remain competitive and effective in driving organizational growth while adapting to the complexities inherent in the Web3 environment. ^[4]

Token Economics

In May 2024, Jill Malandrino conversed with industry experts Andy Baehr (CoinDesk Indices), Robert Leshner (Superstate), and Botaitis about the evolution of token economics and its potential to create viable economic opportunities on NASDAQ TradeTalks. They discussed how tokenization is revolutionizing financial systems by improving transparency, efficiency, and autonomy in asset management. Leshner highlighted the strengths of blockchain technology in recording and transferring assets. At the same time, Botaitis emphasized the democratization of access and the introduction of new business models, akin to the disruption seen with companies like Uber. The group also explored various applications of tokenization, including the integration of AI and sustainability measures, which enhance operational efficiency and streamline processes across multiple industries. The consensus underscored that, while challenges persist, the ongoing migration toward blockchain-based solutions is poised to reshape the financial landscape significantly. ^[5]

Investors Forum

On June 8, 2022, the 9th Annual HHF Investors Forum featured a panel focused on crypto and Web3, moderated by Jonathan Padilla, CEO of Snickerdoodle Labs. The panel included Botaitis, Carlos Noe Saavendra (Arc Street), Cheryl Campos (Republic), Christian Narvaez (Familia DAO), and Trevor Fay (Stealth Mode), who discussed critical topics surrounding digital assets, such as separating significant information from noise, decentralized finance (DeFi) transactions, blockchain technology, and the evolving regulatory landscape. Panelists shared insights into their respective roles, with some mentioning projects focused on creating DeFi infrastructure. In contrast, others emphasized the importance of regulatory clarity for institutional investments in the digital asset space. Discussions also addressed the adoption of stablecoins, their implications for financial inclusion, and the potential for decentralized autonomous organizations (DAOs) to reshape traditional economic structures. The panel emphasized the importance of education in navigating the rapidly evolving environment of Web3 and digital finance. ^[6]