Nick van Eck is the co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of Agora, a company that issues the AUSD stablecoin. He previously worked as a partner at the venture capital firm General Catalyst and comes from a family with a long history in investment management. ^{[1] [2]}

Early Life

Nick van Eck's background is deeply rooted in the financial industry. He is the son of Jan Van Eck, the CEO of the investment management firm VanEck, and the grandson of the firm's founder, who established the company in 1955. ^{[3] [4]} His perspective on finance was also shaped by his grandmother, an immigrant who had experienced the detrimental effects of hyperinflation and capital controls, which influenced his interest in financial stability and accessibility. ^[5]

In his personal life, van Eck is involved in philanthropic activities as a member of the Young Advocates Circle, a fundraising group composed of young professionals that supports the Boys’ Club of New York. ^[6]

Education

Van Eck attended Choate Rosemary Hall, a preparatory high school, from 2010 to 2014. He then enrolled at the University of Virginia, where he studied from 2014 to 2018. He graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree, having majored in History and Economics. ^{[6] [7] [17]}

Career

Nick van Eck began his career in finance with several roles that provided a foundation in research and investment. He worked in equity research at Horizon Kinetics in 2016 and as an investment associate at Cambridge Associates in 2017. Following this, he joined the growth equity firm JMI Equity as an analyst, where he worked from 2018 to 2019, which served as a basis for later work with cryptocurrencies.^[7]

In September 2019, van Eck transitioned to venture capital, joining General Catalyst as a partner. At the firm, he focused on investments in early-stage companies and explored the emerging crypto sector. His interest in the potential of an open financial system was reportedly influenced by the growth of decentralized finance (DeFi) applications like Uniswap and Aave during 2020. He remained at General Catalyst until October 2023. ^{[8] [5]}

While working as a venture capitalist, van Eck also became an active angel investor, typically making investments between $5,000 and $25,000 in early-stage startups. His portfolio includes investments in companies such as Lens Protocol, a Web3 social media project; Ostium, a decentralized derivatives platform; and Tristero. ^[9]

Agora

In October 2023, van Eck left General Catalyst to co-found Agora, a stablecoin issuer, alongside crypto veterans Drake Evans and Joe McGrady. Van Eck serves as the company's CEO. Agora's mission is to provide a digital dollar, named AUSD, primarily for users and institutions outside of the United States, with a focus on emerging markets in Asia and Latin America where local currency volatility is a concern. ^{[1] [4]}

In April 2024, Agora announced it had raised $12 million in a seed funding round led by the digital-asset venture firm Dragonfly. Other investors included General Catalyst, Robot Ventures, Galaxy, Consensys, and Kraken Ventures. The company established a strategic partnership with the VanEck investment firm, which acts as the investment manager for the reserve fund backing the AUSD stablecoin. The reserves are composed of cash, U.S. Treasury bills, and overnight repurchase agreements, with State Street serving as the cash custodian and fund administrator. ^{[10] [3]}

Agora's business model is designed around a B2B distribution strategy, forming partnerships with exchanges, custodians, and decentralized applications. The company employs a revenue-sharing model with these partners rather than distributing yield directly to individual stablecoin holders. Van Eck has stated that Agora intends to remain "credibly neutral" by not competing with the applications that integrate its stablecoin. ^[5]

Public Appearances

Van Eck is a speaker at industry events, discussing topics related to stablecoins, decentralized finance, and institutional investment. He was scheduled to speak at the Consensus Hong Kong 2025 conference in February 2025 on a panel titled "Is There Still Room for Non-US Dollar Stablecoins?" ^[2] He has also appeared on podcasts, such as the "High Stakes" podcast by Validation Cloud, to discuss Agora's mission and the broader stablecoin market. ^[11]

Controversies

Anchorage Digital Dispute

In June 2025, Agora became involved in a public dispute with the crypto financial services firm Anchorage Digital. Anchorage published a "Stablecoin Safety Matrix" report that assigned a low safety rating to Agora's AUSD, classifying it as a high-risk asset. Subsequently, Anchorage delisted both AUSD and Circle's USDC from its platform, citing concerns over "structural risk" and a lack of regulatory oversight. ^[10]

Nick van Eck publicly responded to the report and delisting, alleging that Anchorage's ratings were biased and part of a "pay to play" arrangement. He claimed the actions were retaliatory after Agora declined to use Anchorage's "Genius Bill as a Service" product. Van Eck stated that an Anchorage executive had informed him that other stablecoin issuers, which he surmised were the ones rated as "safe" in the report, were planning to use the service. ^[10]

In a public statement, van Eck commented on the situation:

"If Anchorage had just delisted USDC and AUSD to prioritize the stablecoins that they have an economic interest in, I would understand it as a business decision. Private businesses can and should act in their own interests. But attempting to delegitimize AUSD and USDC for 'security concerns,' while knowingly publishing false information, is unserious and bizarre." ^[10]

Interviews

Kiln’s DeFi Rendez-Vous #01

On November 7, 2024, Nick van Eck participated in Kiln’s DeFi Rendez-Vous podcast (Episode 6), in an interview with Laszlo Szabo. During the discussion, he outlined his views on the expansion of decentralized finance (DeFi), with particular attention to the role of stablecoins.

Van Eck described Agora’s approach to issuing a digital dollar, emphasizing its orientation toward markets outside the United States, including Asia, Latin America, and Europe. He explained that the company’s structure incorporates partnerships with VanEck and State Street to provide asset management and custodial services. He also pointed to the importance of issuing stablecoins natively across several blockchains to address efficiency and security considerations.

In his analysis, centralized and decentralized stablecoins were presented as fulfilling different purposes: centralized versions prioritize liquidity and regulatory alignment, while decentralized alternatives appeal to users prepared to take on higher levels of risk. He also addressed developments in tokenized securities and yield-bearing assets, suggesting that these areas may gradually expand over the next decade.

The conversation further included van Eck’s description of Agora’s broader objective of widening access to the U.S. dollar for populations in regions with limited financial infrastructure. He noted that advancements in blockchain networks could support the development of consumer-facing financial services built on digital assets. ^[18]

Thinking Crypto Interview #02

On December 3, 2024, Nick van Eck was interviewed on the Thinking Crypto YouTube channel in a segment titled “This Stablecoin is a Game Changer! Agora AUSD with Nick van Eck.” During the discussion, he presented his views on the objectives and structure of Agora’s AUSD stablecoin.

Van Eck explained that AUSD was developed with a primary focus on institutional and enterprise adoption, with potential for eventual expansion toward retail usage. He outlined the project’s multi-chain strategy, noting initial deployment on Ethereum, Avalanche, Sui, and Mantle, alongside plans for integration with other networks such as Polygon’s AG Layer. He indicated that the reserves are managed by VanEck and held in custody by State Street, a global bank, in order to establish safeguards against risks observed in other stablecoin arrangements.

He described compliance as a key element of Agora’s framework, referencing the implementation of Know Your Business (KYB) procedures in combination with standard KYC/AML requirements. According to him, this design positions AUSD to operate in alignment with regulatory expectations in the United States and abroad.

Van Eck also commented on the role of stablecoins in different markets. In his assessment, dollar-backed digital assets are particularly relevant in emerging economies where they facilitate remittances and provide access to dollar-denominated transactions. In the United States, he described their function as more limited due to the presence of established financial infrastructure.

From a policy perspective, he stated that U.S. regulators may view stablecoins as instruments that support the dollar’s global position. He also expressed reservations about retail-focused Central Bank Digital Currencies (CBDCs), raising concerns related to privacy and state control.

The interview further covered changes in investment behavior associated with digital platforms, as well as long-term developments in tokenization. Van Eck characterized stablecoins and tokenized real-world assets as components of financial infrastructure that may persist beyond speculative applications of cryptocurrencies. ^[19]