Jianzhong Lan, also known as Jason Lan (兰建忠), is the Chief Operating Officer (COO) of Avenir Group and the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of its subsidiary, Avenir Crypto. ^{[1] [2] [3]} He is recognized for his experience spanning traditional finance at Goldman Sachs and the cryptocurrency industry at Huobi. Lan focuses on integrating traditional financial systems with the digital asset space, financial innovation, and quantitative trading strategies. ^{[4] [5]}​

Education

Jianzhong Lan holds multiple advanced degrees from universities in Hong Kong and mainland China. He earned both a Bachelor's degree in Automation, with a focus on software and information engineering, and a Master's degree from Tsinghua University. ^{[3] [4]} Sources variously describe his master's from Tsinghua as being in Control Science & Engineering, Information Technology, or focusing on corporate information management; he graduated in 2008. ^{[3] [6]}​

In 2014, Lan pursued further studies at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST). ^[3] He obtained a Master’s degree, with sources identifying the program as either Investment Management or Financial Engineering. ^{[4] [3]} During his time at HKUST, he studied corporate finance, derivatives, and stock pricing models. ^[3]​

Career

Goldman Sachs

After graduating from Tsinghua University in 2008, Lan began his career in traditional finance at Goldman Sachs in Hong Kong. ^[3] He served as a Technology Vice President within the investment banking division, where his responsibilities included managing the technical aspects of stock and derivatives trading. ^{[4] [3]} This role provided him with deep experience in institutional finance before he transitioned into the cryptocurrency industry. ^[4]​

Huobi

In 2016, Lan was recruited to join the cryptocurrency exchange Huobi by its founder, Li Lin, who was a former classmate of Lan's. ^[3] Lan played a crucial role in establishing Huobi's derivatives trading business segment. ^[3] He held the position of Vice President at Huobi Group, where he was responsible for overseeing core business operations and derivatives trading starting in 2018. ^{[4] [6]} He was also an Executive Director of Huobi Technology Holdings Limited, beginning in 2019. ^[4]​

Avenir Group and Avenir Crypto

Lan joined Avenir Group, an institutional family office and investment management group founded in 2023 by his former classmate and Huobi founder, Li Lin. ^{[2] [3]} He holds dual roles within the organization, serving as the Chief Operating Officer (COO) of the parent Avenir Group and as the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Avenir Crypto, its crypto-asset management and quantitative trading subsidiary. ^{[1] [7]} As COO, Lan is involved in spearheading the group's integration of traditional finance and digital assets to build a comprehensive financial ecosystem. ^[1]​

Avenir Group operates globally and is structured around four main sub-brands: Avenir Crypto, Avenir Capital (a global multi-asset investment platform), Avenir Innovation (a venture capital arm), and Avenir Foundation (a charitable organization). ^[3] The group made significant inroads into the digital asset market when a 13-F filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) on August 2, 2024, revealed an investment of approximately US$384 million in Bitcoin ETFs. This made Avenir Group the largest institutional holder in Asia of the Fidelity Wise Origin Bitcoin Fund (FBTC) and the iShares Bitcoin Trust (IBIT) at that time. ^[2]​

Public Initiatives and Commentary

Lan is a frequent public speaker and commentator on the evolution of the digital asset industry, particularly concerning institutional adoption and market structure.

Avenir Crypto Partnership Program (2024)

At the "Future Boundless" Avenir Quant Summit in Hong Kong on September 12, 2024, Lan, in his capacity as CEO of Avenir Crypto, delivered the opening keynote. ^{[2] [7]} During his address, he announced the launch of the Avenir Crypto Partnership Program (also referred to as the "Excellent Partner Program"). This initiative dedicated $500 million to invest in and support high-performing quantitative trading teams. ^[3]​

The fund was composed of 200,000,000 USDT, 3,000 BTC, and 50,000 ETH. ^[8] The program offered three partnership models for quant teams: 100% funding by Avenir, an equity contribution with equal rights, or a subordinated equity contribution. ^[7]​

Institutional Trading Platform (2025)

During an event at Token2049 in Singapore in October 2025, Lan, as COO of Avenir Group, announced the company's plan to launch a new cryptocurrency trading platform. ^{[9] [5]} The platform is designed primarily for institutional (B-side) clients and aims to integrate traditional finance with the crypto market to provide more efficient transactions and enhanced liquidity. ^[5]​

Commentary on Market Integration (2025)

Lan has publicly addressed the structural inefficiencies between traditional finance and crypto markets. At the BTC Asia conference in August 2025, he participated in a roundtable titled "The New Era of Bitcoin Led by Asian Institutions." ^{[10] [11]} He identified the "rupture of financing channels" as a core challenge that severely limits capital efficiency for institutional investors. He argued that long transit times, high friction costs, and the inability to use capital across markets lead to significant amounts of "inefficiently idle" capital. ^[11] His proposed solution is a unified financial system that connects all assets, allowing for unified management and efficient capital circulation. ^[10]​

Speaking Engagements

Lan is an active participant in industry events.

• BTC Asia Conference (August 2025): Lan was a panelist discussing the challenges and opportunities for institutional investors in Bitcoin. ^[11]
• Token2049 (October 2025): He spoke at an event co-organized by Avenir Group, CME Group, and FalconX, where he announced the planned institutional trading platform. ^[5]
• Hong Kong FinTech Summit (November 2025): He was a panelist for a discussion on "Institutional Liquidity in Digital Assets and the Future of Crypto Exchanges," where he shared his perspective on the importance of resilient liquidity and sound risk management. ^[1]
• Consensus Hong Kong (February 2026): Lan is a scheduled speaker for the conference on February 12, 2026. His session, part of the Asia Macro Summit, is titled "Asia OG's, Investing in Crypto and the Search for Yield." ^[4]

Views and Philosophy

On TradFi and Crypto Convergence

Lan believes the integration of cryptocurrency into the mainstream financial system as a recognized asset class is "undoubtedly the biggest trend in the next few years." ^[3] He advocates for clearer regulation to provide investor protection and allow the crypto industry to leverage the mature frameworks of traditional finance. Citing crypto's low correlation with traditional assets, he has called it an "excellent alternative asset" for portfolio hedging and diversification. In his view, the entity that first solves the problem of cross-market capital efficiency will lead the "next phase of the financial landscape." ^{[3] [11]}​

On Quantitative Trading and Innovation

Lan views quantitative trading as the "forefront of financial technology innovation." ^[3] He has stated that a primary goal for Avenir Crypto is to leverage "technology-driven and data-driven quantitative trading strategies" to lead the industry. ^[7] He believes that investing in top quant teams aligns with Avenir's technology-driven philosophy and fosters broader innovation. ^[3] Lan has also cited the "sense of crisis" in the global financial environment as a key reason why continuous financial innovation is a necessity. ^[2]​

On Market Dynamics

Lan has commented on the differences between crypto and traditional markets. He notes that crypto is more technology-dependent but has less mature infrastructure. He attributes crypto's higher volatility to a greater influence from market sentiment, news, and capital flows, partly due to the lack of fundamental-based valuation models common in traditional finance. Lan has observed a high correlation between crypto assets and U.S. technology stocks and monitors indicators such as U.S. elections, recession risks, and interest rate policies to gauge market direction. ^[3]​