Diogo Monica is a Portuguese-American Entrepreneur and Engineer who is the co-founder of Anchorage Digital, a cryptocurrency and digital asset platform headquartered in the United States. He is also a General Partner at Haun Ventures and chairman of the NEAR Foundation. ^[1][2]

Education

Monica earned three degrees - BSc in Communication Networks Engineering, MSc in Communication Networks Engineering, and a PhD, in Computer Science, Network Security from Instituto Superior Técnico. ^[1]

Career

Monica began his career as a Platform Security Lead at Square Inc. (now Block) in April 2011. While working at Square, Mónica identified an issue with the online reservation service, OpenTable, that let users create bots to reserve tables as soon as a reservation became available. He also wrote code that would allow other users to do the same, publishing the code and his findings on his eponymous blog.

In 2015, Mónica left Square to become the Security Lead at Docker Inc., a software company. Throughout his time at Square and Docker, he was also a member of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, chairing the institute's Public Visibility Committee for a period.

In November 2017, he co-founded the digital asset platform Anchorage Digital with Nathan McCauley, whom he had met while working at Square. Mónica is an Executive Chairman at Anchorage, which has the first federally chartered cryptocurrency bank in the United States and received a valuation of over $3 billion in 2021. ^{[1] [3]}

He serves as an advisor to several companies, including Airtable, StackRox, and Jscrambler. In March 2024, he joined Haun Ventures as a General Partner.

"I've invested in over 100 companies as an angel investor, and now want to professionalize what's been a side hustle," Mónica explains."I don't think of it as leaving Anchorage, because I'll still be helping the team on things like strategy and hiring executives." - Monica said during his appointment ^[5]

NEAR Foundation Council

In October 2023, Monica was appointed a member of the NEAR Foundation Council (NFC). The NEAR Foundation Council (NFC) is the governing body of the NEAR Foundation (NF) (similar to a board of directors), which is responsible for ultimate control and oversight of NF and for making significant decisions for the organization. ^[4]

The NFC is separate from the NF’s executive team, which the NFC empowers to manage the NF’s day-to-day operations and reports back to the NFC (and seeks NFC approval where necessary for significant decisions). ^[4]

Interviews

Navigating Crypto

In an August 2025 episode of theCUBE's "Crypto Trailblazers" series, Monica discussed the evolution of the cryptocurrency landscape and his multifaceted roles within the industry. Monica highlighted Anchorage's significance as the only federally chartered bank in the U.S. dedicated to digital assets and elaborated on the current regulatory clarity that has fostered a renewed entrepreneurial spirit within the crypto space. He emphasized the increased demand for stablecoins and the shift of fintech companies integrating crypto solutions, all while acknowledging the challenges posed by previous regulatory stances. By investing through Haun Ventures, Monica and his team focused on supporting foundational builders within the crypto ecosystem, which he believes will increasingly resemble traditional venture capital as the market matures. Monica also shared insights on the infrastructure required to support various blockchain technologies and expressed optimism about the future of tokenization across different sectors, positioning Anchorage at the forefront of this innovation. ^[6]

First Crypto Bank

On the When Shift Happens podcast in July 2025, Monica shared insights about his experiences and motivations behind founding the first federally chartered crypto bank in the U.S. He discussed the challenges and discomfort that come with being an entrepreneur, emphasizing that personal growth often arises from facing difficulties. Monica highlighted the significance of relentless learning and seeking discomfort as key drivers in his career. He also reflected on the differences between being a founder and an employee, noting that the former gains invaluable experience that accelerates personal and professional development. Moreover, he touched on the importance of having a supportive team in navigating the inherent loneliness of entrepreneurship and the complexities of managing co-founder relationships. As the conversation progressed, Monica expressed his views on the future of decentralized finance (DeFi) and the need for founders to align their incentives better, suggesting that true success in DeFi would require revised structures that encourage long-term investment rather than short-term gains. Ultimately, he articulated a hopeful vision of bridging traditional finance with DeFi, anticipating significant advancements within the coming years. ^[7]

Future of Crypto

In an August 2024 discussion on the evolving landscape of cryptocurrency with Turpentine VC, Mónica, a general partner at Haun Ventures, detailed the advancements in the crypto ecosystem since 2017 during an episode of the Turpentine VC podcast. He noted that significant progress included the development of advanced blockchain infrastructure and the rise of decentralized finance (DeFi), enabling a greater transaction throughput and the emergence of stablecoins as a dominant financial instrument. Mónica emphasized the importance of institutional participation, exemplified by the introduction of Bitcoin ETFs, which marked a shift towards mainstream acceptance of crypto. He also discussed potential use cases for crypto in fintech, highlighting how traditional financial services could benefit from the efficiency and programmability of cryptocurrencies. Despite these advancements, he pointed out that some anticipated developments, such as the tokenization of real estate and broader decentralized applications, had not yet materialized as expected. Mónica concluded by expressing optimism about the future of cryptocurrency as a foundational technology that will influence various industries, while acknowledging the ongoing challenges and the complexity of integrating these innovations into existing systems. ^[8]

Institutional Crypto & Custody

In a September 2024 interview with the Thinking Crypto podcast, Monica discussed the company's role in the evolving institutional cryptocurrency landscape. Anchorage, recognized as the first federally chartered crypto bank, provided tailored services such as custody, trading, and staking to institutional clients, distinguishing itself by adhering to high regulatory standards amidst a turbulent market environment. Despite the challenges presented by a bearish crypto market in 2022, the company reported significant growth, including an 80% increase in assets under custody and a surge in Ethereum staking participation from its clients. Monica emphasized the importance of regulatory clarity and establishing a sound market structure in attracting traditional financial institutions to the cryptocurrency space. He expressed optimism about ongoing regulatory developments, indicating that as institutions become more comfortable with digital assets, the market could continue to evolve and thrive. ^[9]

Presentations

Operating & Investing

In a discussion titled "Being Both an Operator and Investor in Crypto" at the Proof of Talk June 2024 event, Lily Liu (Solana) and Mónica explored the complexities of balancing operational roles with investment interests in the cryptocurrency space. The conversation began with introductions that highlighted their significant careers; Liu mentioned her experience with Anagram and the Solana Foundation, while Mónica discussed his role at Anchorage. They debated the differing approaches between investing in traditional companies versus crypto protocols, emphasizing the unique challenges of evaluating projects based on their technological innovation and market dynamics. Liu argued that operating experience could lead to biased evaluations of startups, while Mónica suggested that investor perspectives, particularly those grounded in empathy for founders, could enhance operational effectiveness. The discussion also addressed valuation challenges within the cryptocurrency market and the need for improved alignment of incentives regarding token founders' vesting schedules. Ultimately, they concluded that integrating crypto technology into daily life could enhance its utility and sustainability. ^[10]