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Interviews with Leaders in Fintech & Web3

How Nicolas Cary Built Blockchain.com From a Small Apartment in York

September 02, 2026 • Work in Fintech • Season 2 • Episode 34

0:00 | 31:00

Before Blockchain.com became one of the biggest names in crypto, Nicolas Cary was just a curious entrepreneur experimenting with technology.

He started making money as a kid mowing lawns and selling clams. Later, he built websites as a teenager, including one he traded for lifetime sandwiches.

Then came the 2008 financial crisis.

Watching the financial system collapse changed how Nicolas thought about money. When Bitcoin arrived, he saw something different: the possibility of building an entirely new financial system.

What started with a couple of guys in a small apartment in York eventually became Blockchain.com.

But the journey wasn't easy.

Crypto crashed. Markets collapsed. People lost interest. Through every cycle, Nicolas and his team kept building.

In this episode of the Working Fintech Podcast, Nicolas Cary, Co-Founder and Vice Chairman of Blockchain.com, shares his incredible journey, from his early entrepreneurial experiments to discovering Bitcoin, building through multiple crypto cycles, and what he believes young people should do to prepare for the future.

We discuss:

→ Why the 2008 financial crisis led him to Bitcoin
→ The early days of Blockchain.com in a small apartment in York
→ What it takes to survive multiple crypto boom and bust cycles
→ Why listening to customers is one of the most important founder skills
→ Why entrepreneurship is a long game
→ Why you don't need to live in Silicon Valley to build a global company
→ Why traditional career advice may no longer work
→ The skills young people need in an AI-powered future

"The jobs of tomorrow are being forged by your curiosities today."

Connect with Nicolas Cary:
https://x.com/niccary?lang=en

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