Gabe Otte is an American technology entrepreneur and software engineer. He is known for co-founding Freenome, a biotechnology company focused on early cancer detection, and Dinari, a financial technology firm that tokenizes U.S. securities. His career has also included engineering and research positions at Apple Inc. and Cornell University. ^[1]​

Education

Otte attended Cornell University from 2007 to 2011, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree. His studies encompassed Chemistry, Chemical Biology, and Computational Biology. During his time at the university, he also engaged in research activities related to his academic fields. ^[2]​

Career

Otte's career began in 2003 when he founded the OSXplanet Project, where he was involved in software design and algorithm development, creating several versions of the OSXplanet application until 2008. From 2008 to 2009, he worked as a software engineer at Apple Inc. in Santa Clara and its subsidiary, FileMaker Inc. In this role, he contributed to the development of application features and data structures for the Bento personal database software. Concurrently with his early engineering roles and studies, between 2008 and 2011, Otte was a research assistant at Cornell University. His research focused on microvascular disease and Alzheimer’s disease in transgenic mouse models, where he also developed algorithms for imaging and data analysis. Following his graduation in 2011, he held a position as an engineer at Glyde Corporation in Palo Alto.

In 2014, Otte co-founded the biotechnology company Freenome. He initially served as the company’s Chief Technology Officer until 2016, after which he took on the role of Chief Executive Officer, a position he held until 2021. In 2018, he also became a partner at Healthcare Co-op in the San Francisco Bay Area. After his tenure at Freenome, Otte co-founded Dinari in Palo Alto in late 2021, where he serves as a co-founder. ^{[2] [3]}​

Dinari

As a co-founder of Dinari, Otte has focused on using blockchain technology to tokenize United States stocks and exchange-traded funds (ETFs), with the stated mission of addressing global disparities in access to trusted investment opportunities. The company provides 1:1 backed on-demand tokenized securities, known as "dShares," which are collateralized by corresponding real-world assets held in traditional financial accounts. By May 2025, the platform was accessible to users in multiple countries and had secured a $12.7 million Series A funding round to support product development and asset expansion. Otte has stated that a primary motivation for founding the company was to build trust in financial assets, particularly in regions where faith in local investment options is low. ^{[1] [3]}​

Interviews

Real Tokenization?

On the Bankless podcast in July 2025, Otte discussed the potential and status of tokenized stocks with Ryan Sean Adams since Dinari recently became the first company to receive a broker-dealer license for tokenized stocks in the U.S. The conversation highlighted that while the full realization of tokenized stocks remains years away, some platforms in the EU, such as Robinhood and XStocks, have begun offering tokenized shares, albeit often as derivatives rather than direct ownership. Otte pointed out the challenges posed by existing securities laws, which create obstacles for fully integrating these financial instruments on-chain. He expressed optimism about the current U.S. regulatory climate under SEC chair Paul Atkins, noting a shift towards a more welcoming stance on innovation in capital markets. Ultimately, while tokenized stocks show great promise in terms of access and efficiency, the industry must navigate complex regulatory frameworks to achieve widespread adoption and market stability. ^[5]

Tokenized Stocks

On the Talking Tokens podcast in May 2025, Otte reflected on the Dinari's founding, which stemmed from his realization of global disparities in access to trusted investment opportunities. Established in late 2021, Dinari focused on utilizing blockchain technology to tokenize US stocks and ETFs, making them accessible to users in over 60 countries. Otte shared insights from his prior experience in healthcare and his personal journey, emphasizing the importance of trust in financial assets, particularly in regions where people often lack faith in local investments. The conversation touched on the regulatory challenges faced by the company and the broader market, highlighting Dinari's position as a leader in the tokenized stock space. Over a three-year period, the company witnessed significant growth and traction, culminating in a successful $12.7 million Series A funding round aimed at enhancing product development and expanding asset offerings. Otte stressed the importance of integrating traditional finance with blockchain and expressed hope for a future where these sectors would collaborate effectively. Ultimately, he encouraged compassion and kindness in the business world, reminding those involved in finance to keep human connections at the forefront of their endeavors. ^[3]

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Presentations

Dinari

At TokenizeThis 2024 in July, Otte shared that Dinari had been working diligently to develop a solution for distributing tokenized assets, specifically on-chain stock tokens known as D shares. Last year, Dinari tested methods to allow users to buy these shares through stablecoins while partnering with Clearing Houses to ensure proper backing. Despite initial challenges with the user experience for wallet transactions, Dinari created an API layer that enables Web 2 applications to distribute D shares seamlessly to their existing user bases. This effort unlocked access to millions of potential customers and enabled partner apps to facilitate purchases without requiring users to interact with wallets or be familiar with the Dinari network. Otte announced that Dinari would soon launch a fully compliant decentralized exchange portal tailored for real-world assets (RWAs), with features to cater to investors and asset issuers. The strategy involved partnerships with other networks to enhance asset accessibility and market presence, ultimately aiming to create a robust ecosystem for tokenized assets through their API distribution network. ^[4]

Panels

Tokenization and Payments

At the Wyoming Blockchain Symposium in October 2025, Otte participated in a panel that discussed the current landscape and future potential of tokenization and payments, highlighting the growing excitement surrounding stablecoins and the platform interoperability necessary for meaningful changes in asset trading. The panelists, including John Nahas from Ava Labs, Farooq Malik from Rain, and Daniel Ker from Apex, reflected on their experiences and challenges within the industry. They acknowledged past limitations, such as regulatory compliance and technical constraints, but expressed optimism about advancements in blockchain technology that would facilitate the tokenization of a wide array of assets. They anticipated that, with increased infrastructure capabilities and the rise of purpose-built blockchains, the financial ecosystem would evolve, ultimately leading to a future in which tokenization becomes an integral part of everyday transactions, rendering the specific technologies invisible to users. ^[6]