Rhett Shipp is a founder in the decentralized finance (DeFi) sector, primarily known as the founder of the Avalanche-based crypto yield protocol Avant Protocol. He is also the founder of the DeFi protocol Gravita and is an active commentator on cryptocurrency technology and regulation. ^{[1] [2]}

Education

Rhett Shipp earned a Bachelor of Science in Finance from Southern Utah University, with a minor in Actuarial Science. During his studies, he focused on financial modeling, statistical analysis, and quantitative risk assessment, laying the groundwork for his later work in financial systems, data science, and blockchain-based finance. ^[7]

Career

Rhett Shipp currently serves as the Founder of Avant Protocol, a decentralized finance platform launched in 2024. In this role, he leads protocol design, governance frameworks, and cross-chain integration efforts. He oversees a globally distributed development team focused on creating next-generation blockchain infrastructure and ensuring operational scalability. Before founding Avant Protocol, Shipp established Gravita Protocol in 2022, where he directed all aspects of platform architecture. From 2022 to 2023, he worked as a Senior DeFi Specialist at Wave Financial (Wave Digital Assets). Earlier in his career, Shipp spent nearly four years at HireVue, progressing from Data Science Analyst to Data Scientist. During this period, he built predictive analytics models to improve hiring decision algorithms and leveraged behavioral datasets to enhance product performance. His analytical work contributed to advancing the company’s AI-driven recruitment technologies.

Prior to entering the data science field, he worked as a Software Developer at Leavitt Software Solutions from 2015 to 2017, developing enterprise-level applications and improving backend data systems. From 2010 to 2014, he served as a Transfer Pricing Analyst at Ernst & Young (EY), where he performed financial modeling, valuation analyses, and cross-border tax compliance for multinational clients. His early professional experience also includes positions as a Teacher’s Aid in Economics and Finance and as a Math and Economics Tutor at Southern Utah University, where he supported instruction and student learning in quantitative disciplines. ^{[1] [7]}

The Paul Barron Show

On Augusr 26th, 2025 Shipp joined The Paul Barron Show to discuss Avant’s approach to yield generation through decentralized finance. He explains how the platform employs on-chain strategies to optimize returns while managing risk, emphasizing transparency, algorithmic asset allocation, and automated portfolio deployment.