Key Takeaways
- Franklin Bi is a general partner at Pantera Capital, focusing on blockchain investments and supporting the growth of digital asset and Web3 technologies.
- He co-founded Scale8 Partners, a venture studio focused on building and supporting early-stage blockchain startups and innovation.
- His background combines finance and tech, with experience in venture capital, corporate strategy, and blockchain development across major institutions.
Franklin Bi is a technology and investment professional with a strong focus on blockchain innovation and digital asset markets. He currently serves as a general partner at Pantera Capital, a firm known for backing projects in the digital asset and blockchain ecosystem. In this role, he helps guide investment decisions and support the growth of emerging technologies in the space.
Prior to his work in venture capital, Bi was involved in JPMorgan Chase’s early blockchain initiatives, where he contributed to the development of enterprise-grade solutions. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Economics, Finance, and Entrepreneurial Management from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, reflecting a foundation that combines business strategy with financial expertise.
Early Venture Capital Experience
Franklin Bi began his venture capital career at ff Venture Capital, where he worked from 2010 to 2011. In this role, he gained foundational experience in evaluating early-stage startups and understanding emerging technology markets. This period marked his initial exposure to the investment landscape, particularly within innovation-driven sectors.
Role in Corporate Strategy at JPMorgan Chase
In 2011, Bi joined JPMorgan Chase as a vice president in the Corporate and Investment Bank, where he worked on corporate strategy until 2014. His responsibilities included supporting financial technology projects, helping to plan business growth, and evaluating new opportunities to improve the firm’s overall direction. During this period, he also contributed to efforts that aimed to adapt the company’s strategies in response to changes in the financial services sector.
Blockchain Leadership at JPMorgan Chase
From 2015 to 2018, Bi transitioned into a more specialized leadership role at JPMorgan Chase as vice president and blockchain and digital assets strategy lead. He was actively involved in the firm’s early blockchain efforts, supporting the development of distributed ledger technologies and enterprise blockchain systems.
His responsibilities included collaboration with industry organizations such as the Enterprise Ethereum Alliance and Hyperledger, as well as contributions to projects like Quorum, an enterprise blockchain platform developed within the firm’s ecosystem.
Scale8 Partners, Pantera Capital, and Ongoing Roles
In 2018, Bi co-founded Scale8 Partners, a venture studio focused on building and supporting early-stage blockchain startups. The following year, he joined Pantera Capital as a general partner, where he has since been involved in investments across blockchain infrastructure, decentralized finance, and Web3 gaming.
Beyond this, he has held board and observer positions at companies including Pintu, InfiniGods, Azra Games, and Bitso, and has advised firms such as Alchemy and NPC Labs. In 2025, he further expanded his leadership involvement by joining the board of TransCrypts.
$34B Raised as Crypto VC Market Matures
On Pantera Capital’s podcast, host Mason Nestrom speaks with Franklin Bi and Paul Veradittakit about how crypto venture capital is evolving. They point out that although total deal count dropped by nearly half compared to earlier periods, fundraising still reached around $34 billion in 2023, signaling a shift in capital allocation rather than overall decline.
This change is mainly because investors now prefer later-stage deals and are more careful with their choices. Unclear rules around stablecoins and a more mature market also affect how money is invested. The venture space has also changed, with exits shifting from token launches to public listings. They also note that new sectors continue to attract interest even as the market evolves.
Franklin Bi on Investing and Early Blockchain Work
In January 2025, Bi was featured on the Thinking Crypto podcast hosted by Tony Edward, where he shared insights into the cryptocurrency industry’s evolution and the investment strategies at Pantera Capital, a long-standing institutional firm active in the blockchain and digital asset space.
During the conversation, he also reflected on his early exposure to blockchain at JPMorgan Chase, where he contributed to early projects exploring distributed ledger technology and its potential applications in enterprise settings, a time when many established financial institutions were still uncertain about its long-term value.
Vision for Blockchain Adoption
Franklin Bi’s vision is shaped by his experience in traditional finance and blockchain work at JPMorgan Chase, where he gained insight into how institutions adopt new systems. This led him to focus on building solutions that meet enterprise standards while supporting decentralized innovation, a perspective further reinforced through his venture capital roles at ff Venture Capital, Pantera Capital, and Scale8 Partners, where he emphasizes scalable infrastructure and projects bridging traditional finance with blockchain.
Final Thoughts
Franklin Bi’s career shows a clear focus on connecting traditional finance with blockchain innovation, using his experience in large institutions and venture capital to support the growth of scalable digital asset technologies. From his time at JPMorgan Chase to his roles at Pantera Capital and Scale8 Partners, he has helped develop and invest in blockchain infrastructure and decentralized projects. His approach highlights long-term thinking, careful investing, and supporting technologies that link traditional financial systems with the growing decentralized ecosystem.
