Franklin Bi is a venture capitalist and technology executive specializing in blockchain and digital asset investments. He serves as a general partner at Pantera Capital, a prominent investment firm focused on the digital asset sector. Prior to his career in venture capital, Bi was a key figure in JPMorgan Chase's early blockchain strategy, where he contributed to the development of foundational enterprise blockchain projects. ^[1]​

Education

Bi earned a Bachelor of Science (BS) in Economics, Finance, and Entrepreneurial Management from The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania. ^[3]​

Career

Bi began his career in venture capital as an investor at ff Venture Capital from 2010 to 2011. In 2011, he joined JPMorgan Chase as vice president of corporate strategy within the Corporate and Investment Bank, where he worked on financial technology initiatives and growth strategies until 2014. He later served as vice president and blockchain and digital assets strategy lead from 2015 to 2018, helping develop early blockchain initiatives at the firm, including distributed ledger applications and enterprise blockchain infrastructure. His work involved collaborating with industry groups such as the Enterprise Ethereum Alliance and Hyperledger, and he contributed to projects including the enterprise blockchain platform Quorum.

In 2018, Bi co-founded Scale8 Partners, a venture studio focused on early-stage blockchain companies. The following year, he joined Pantera Capital as a general partner, where he has led investments in blockchain infrastructure, decentralized finance, and Web3 gaming companies. During this period, he has also held board or observer roles at several technology and cryptocurrency firms, including Pintu, InfiniGods, Azra Games, and Bitso. He has served as an investor or advisor to companies such as Alchemy and NPC Labs. In 2025, he also became a board member of TransCrypts. ^{[2] [5]}

Interviews

State of Crypto VC

On Pantera Capital’s podcast, Stateful, host Mason Nestrom interviews Paul Veradittakit and Bi, who discuss the current state of cryptocurrency venture capital, highlighting the significant $34 billion in fundraising in 2023, despite a nearly 50% decline in deal volume compared to previous years. They attributed this funding shift to a focus on later-stage investments rather than early-stage opportunities, influenced by the regulatory landscape for stablecoins and the market's maturation. The conversation included reflections on the evolution of the venture landscape, highlighting how exit strategies have transitioned from token launches to public listings. Additionally, they explored promising areas for future investment, such as tokenization, ZK technologies, and the emergence of consumer applications, such as prediction markets. The hosts expressed a cautious but optimistic outlook toward payment chains, emphasizing that while privacy remains a critical feature in the blockchain ecosystem, its investment potential might be limited. Ultimately, they emphasized the need for a mature understanding of the crypto market, aiming to create long-term value amid evolving investor sentiment and market dynamics. ^[6]

Evolving Crypto

On theCUBE in March 2025, Bi discussed the evolving landscape of the cryptocurrency market during a two-day digital event focused on crypto trailblazers. He reflected on his 12 years of experience investing in blockchain and crypto, noting how the market had transitioned from Bitcoin being a niche asset to a foundational element of a new financial system. Despite some regulatory uncertainties persisting, he expressed optimism about the future, highlighting the growth of institutional interest and the importance of modernizing financial services through blockchain technology. Franklin emphasized that significant opportunities remained, with much of the traditional financial system still off-chain and available for tokenization. He also shared insights on the importance of liquidity in fostering entrepreneurship and innovation in the space. Overall, he acknowledged advancements in the blockchain sector and the potential for new financial products, particularly in stablecoins and gaming, to drive mainstream adoption and democratize access to capital markets. ^[7]

Pantera’s Investment Strategy

In January 2025, Bi appeared on the Thinking Crypto podcast hosted by Tony Edward, where he discussed the evolution of the cryptocurrency sector and investment perspectives at Pantera Capital, one of the earliest institutional investment firms focused on blockchain and digital assets. During the interview, Bi described his early involvement in the sector while working at JPMorgan Chase, where he helped lead early blockchain initiatives and explored potential enterprise uses of distributed ledger technology at a time when many traditional financial institutions were skeptical of the technology. Bi also discussed broader industry developments, including the growing role of stablecoins and the ways digital assets could influence traditional financial systems. He noted that financial institutions were increasingly evaluating blockchain-based infrastructure and tokenization as part of evolving financial markets. The conversation also addressed developments in blockchain-based gaming and decentralized finance, which he described as areas that could contribute to wider adoption of cryptocurrency technologies as infrastructure and regulatory frameworks continued to develop. ^[4]