# Leo Zhang

> Leo Zhang is a crypto entrepreneur, founder of Alkimiya, focusing on Bitcoin blockspace and hashrate derivatives. He's now developing 42space, an 'event-launchpad.'

- Canonical URL: https://iq.wiki/wiki/leo-zhang
- Categories: People in crypto
- Tags: Bitcoin, Developer, Founder, Speaker
- Created: 2026-08-19T06:38:34.528Z
- Last updated: 2026-08-19T06:38:34.528Z
- Source: IQ.wiki — the world's largest blockchain and crypto encyclopedia (https://iq.wiki)

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**Leo Zhang** is a crypto entrepreneur and the founder of Alkimiya and 42space. His work focuses on financial instruments and decentralized event launch platforms related to [Bitcoin](https://iq.wiki/wiki/bitcoin) blockspace and hashrate derivatives.

## Early Life & Education

Leo Zhang attended Stanford University and graduated with a bachelor's degree in mathematics. His academic background informed his later work in financial technology and cryptocurrency. [\[1\]](#cite-id-9krW5Mnz44TSo7Iw)

While at Stanford, Zhang co-founded The Opportune Time, a financial research startup. He also worked as an investment analyst at Sequoia Capital China. [\[1\]](#cite-id-9krW5Mnz44TSo7Iw)

## Career

Zhang took a new role at Morgan Stanley Global Capital Markets as an equity derivatives analyst, where he worked on derivatives and market dynamics. Before founding Alkimiya, he worked at Global Atlantic, an insurance and financial services company. [\[1\]](#cite-id-9krW5Mnz44TSo7Iw)

### Founding Alkimiya

Zhang founded **Alkimiya**, a protocol intended to enable participants such as wallets, miners, and professional traders to take positions on [Bitcoin](https://iq.wiki/wiki/bitcoin) blockspace and transaction fee volatility. The protocol includes mechanisms for managing exposure to [Bitcoin](https://iq.wiki/wiki/bitcoin) fee changes, one aspect of the broader digital-asset market. [\[1\]](#cite-id-9krW5Mnz44TSo7Iw)

He has discussed the commoditization of [Bitcoin](https://iq.wiki/wiki/bitcoin)'s blockspace, drawing comparisons with traditional commodity markets. He described issues faced by miners and other network participants caused by [Bitcoin](https://iq.wiki/wiki/bitcoin) transaction fee volatility, and discussed how Alkimiya's products aim to address those issues. [\[2\]](#cite-id-QW66VFiQkR59uzG2)

## Current Project — 42space

Zhang is currently working on **42space**, which he described in his X profile and posts as an "event-launchpad" that integrates elements of prediction markets and token launchpads, where outcomes are tokenized and markets settle on outcomes. [\[3\]](#cite-id-vr6NW9tS9oNyXYaF)

## Public Presence & Media

Zhang maintains an active presence on platforms such as X, where he posts about his projects and related developments. [\[3\]](#cite-id-vr6NW9tS9oNyXYaF) He has also appeared on podcasts to discuss Alkimiya and topics related to [Bitcoin](https://iq.wiki/wiki/bitcoin) transaction fees and blockspace. [\[2\]](#cite-id-QW66VFiQkR59uzG2)

Zhang continues to work on 42space following his time building Alkimiya.