Raja Chakravorti is a finance and technology executive who serves as the Chief Business Officer at the Stellar Development Foundation (SDF). At the SDF, he focuses on expanding global access to financial services by leveraging blockchain technology to build open financial infrastructure. ^[1]

Education

Chakravorti attended the University of Michigan, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics in 2003. He later pursued graduate studies at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), graduating from the Anderson School of Management with a Master of Business Administration (MBA) in 2011. ^[2]​

Career

Chakravorti began his career in finance as an analyst at JPMorgan Chase from 2003 to 2005. In this role, he worked on collateralized loan obligation (CLO) and collateralized debt obligation (CDO) transactions, where his responsibilities included providing quantitative analysis and asset valuations. He then moved to Goldman Sachs, serving as an associate from 2005 to 2008. There, he managed over 30 residential mortgage securitizations, a role that involved structuring deals, working with rating agencies, and negotiating transaction agreements. During this time, he also advised the Federal Housing Administration (FHA) and the Government National Mortgage Association (GNMA) on securitization strategies, contributing to the launch of the first GNMA reverse mortgage securitization.

After completing his MBA, during which he held a 2010 internship in CRM and loyalty marketing at Warner Bros. Entertainment, Chakravorti transitioned to the fintech industry by joining PayPal in 2011. He held a series of progressive leadership roles over an eight-year tenure. He started as Manager of North America Strategy, leading business intelligence and regional initiatives. He subsequently became Head of Strategy and Operations for SMB Field Sales (2012–2013), where he developed sales roadmaps and operational tools. From 2013 to 2015, he was the Chief of Staff and Head of Business Operations and Strategy for PayPal's retail division, overseeing operational efficiency, omnichannel initiatives, and budgeting. Between 2015 and 2018, he concurrently led retail point-of-sale partnerships and social innovation business development, expanding PayPal's merchant footprint while managing partnerships in the nonprofit, education, and fundraising sectors. His final role at PayPal in 2019 was General Manager of North America Middle Market, where he managed a significant revenue portfolio and led sales transformation efforts.

In September 2019, Chakravorti joined Root Inc. as General Manager and President of Root Enterprise, a position he held until April 2021. He was tasked with building the company's B2B division, which involved managing the P&L, leading product commercialization and strategy, and developing SaaS offerings. He also established enterprise partnerships across the insurance, mobility, and financial services sectors. ^[4]​

Chakravorti moved to Plaid in April 2021, initially leading the Financial Access team, where he worked with financial institutions on data connectivity and digital strategy. He was later promoted to Head of Universal Access, Financial Access Solutions, and Go-to-Market strategy, a role he held from 2022 to 2024. In this capacity, he oversaw initiatives focused on financial data connectivity between fintech applications and traditional banking platforms.

In March 2024, he became an Expert-in-Residence at the DMZ, an incubator affiliated with Toronto Metropolitan University, where he advises early-stage technology startups globally. He was appointed Chief Business Officer at the Stellar Development Foundation in September 2024, where he oversees the organization's business strategy and partnerships. ^[4]

Interviews

Building Financial Infrastructure

In a November 2025 interview on the Crypto Clarified podcast, Chakravorti discussed his career transition from traditional banking to fintech and his current role at the Stellar Development Foundation. He outlined Stellar’s strategic focus on building open financial infrastructure to improve access to everyday financial services, particularly global payments and remittances. Chakravorti described real-world applications of the Stellar network in emerging markets, where users can conduct transactions, save, and protect value through digital wallets and stable assets. He explained that the Lumen (XLM) token serves as a bridge asset, enabling network accessibility and facilitating cross-asset transactions without mining. Looking ahead, he detailed Stellar’s plans to expand institutional adoption, develop privacy solutions, and integrate with existing financial systems to broaden inclusion. The conversation also addressed the importance of transaction velocity, institutional confidence in digital assets, and the role of local stablecoins and interoperability in strengthening global financial connectivity. ^[3]

Blockchain x Real World

In an April 2025 interview on the Converge Podcast, Chakravorti discussed his professional transition from open banking to blockchain, as well as his work at the Stellar Development Foundation. He outlined his background in traditional and structured finance, including roles at PayPal and Plaid, and described how those experiences shaped his focus on consumer financial access. Chakravorti explained Stellar’s role in addressing last-mile payment challenges and enabling more efficient cross-border transactions, emphasizing the organization’s priorities around inclusion, reliability, and measurable impact. He referenced the network’s operational performance and its use in humanitarian aid programs, where blockchain infrastructure has supported financial assistance in regions with limited banking access. The conversation also covered partnerships, including initiatives with MoneyGram to improve cash-to-digital transfers, as well as projects involving asset tokenization and stablecoins to expand access to investment products. Chakravorti concluded by discussing the importance of regulatory clarity in fostering innovation and broader institutional participation in blockchain-based financial services. ^[6]

RWAs

In a February 2025 interview with CoinDesk, Chakravorti discussed the role of tokenization in improving efficiency and accessibility in financial systems, emphasizing its relevance beyond purely digital assets. He referenced a partnership with UNHCR that used the Stellar network to distribute aid, noting cost savings achieved through tokenizing cash donations. Chakravorti also highlighted examples of tokenized financial products, including a money market fund that lowered minimum investment thresholds, illustrating broader access to traditional assets. He pointed to the network’s low transaction costs and high throughput as evidence of its suitability for microtransactions and large-scale use. The discussion covered Stellar’s focus on “last mile” access, enabling users to interact with blockchain infrastructure through familiar channels such as bank transfers and physical cash locations. Chakravorti stressed the importance of making the underlying technology invisible to end users, as well as the need for interoperability and regulatory clarity across blockchain networks. He concluded by addressing infrastructure reliability, transaction speed, and liquidity as key factors supporting future mainstream adoption of blockchain-based financial services. ^[5]

Presentations

Stellar Quarterly

During the Stellar Development Foundation’s Q3 2025 quarterly review in November 2025, Chakravorti participated in an executive presentation outlining the organization’s progress and strategic priorities. He discussed the foundation’s focus on real-world assets as a driver of blockchain adoption and reviewed performance metrics, including growth in decentralized finance activity, increases in developer participation, and rising smart contract usage. Chakravorti highlighted the transaction volumes processed on the network and outlined goals for on-chain asset adoption and user engagement. He also addressed institutional participation, noting partnerships and contract activity involving major financial organizations. The presentation covered recent product developments aimed at improving scalability, privacy, and developer usability, as well as community engagement initiatives such as the Meridian 2025 conference. Chakravorti concluded by emphasizing transparency, collaboration, and long-term growth objectives as 2026 approaches. ^[8]

Panels

TradFi’s Needs

In December 2025, Chakravorti participated in a SmartCon panel alongside Solomon Tesfaye of Aptos Labs and Jacquelyn Melinek of Token Relations, discussing institutional engagement with real-world assets and stablecoins. Chakravorti observed that institutions have moved from passive interest to active exploration and pilot programs, though adoption levels vary and integration with existing technology remains a challenge. He emphasized that tokenization must reflect real value, prioritizing practical utility, liquidity, and measurable outcomes rather than token creation for its own sake. Institutions are initially focusing on lower-risk applications, such as tokenizing established assets, while seeking to combine traditional financial products with blockchain capabilities to access new markets and enhance yields. Chakravorti highlighted the importance of asset velocity, user-friendly on

• and off-ramps, and demonstrating concrete benefits—such as cost savings—as critical factors for broader institutional adoption and real-world impact. ^[7]

Redefining Payments

In December 2025, Chakravorti moderated a panel at Stellar House with Sarah Frese, Rodri Fernandez Touza, and Josh Gordon-Blake, focusing on innovations in everyday payments and global money movement. The discussion highlighted inefficiencies in cross-border transactions, particularly for individuals in inflation-affected regions, and explored the potential of stablecoins to increase economic access and freedom. Panelists emphasized integrating stablecoins into the real economy through infrastructure such as ATMs and highlighted fast settlement times, with most transactions completing in under an hour. Collaborations between Stellar and MoneyGram were discussed as examples of enhancing user empowerment by enabling stablecoin storage and usage. The conversation also stressed the importance of personalization, trust, and giving users control over financial transactions, while considering the evolving future of payments, including trends in remittances and the potential transformation of cash by 2026. ^[9]