Key Takeaways

• Ian De Bode is a Belgian-American leader in digital assets, serving as President of Ondo Finance, focusing on tokenizing real-world assets. 

• He studied engineering and finance in Europe, then earned an MBA at Stanford, building a strong foundation in technology, business, and strategy. 

• De Bode started in R&D, moving from Research Engineer to Product Development Manager, gaining practical experience with advanced technologies.

Ian De Bode is a Belgian-American business leader in the digital asset space and currently serves as President of Ondo Finance, a company focused on tokenizing real-world assets (RWAs). Previously, he was a Partner at McKinsey & Company, where he co-founded and led the firm’s global Digital Assets practice, gaining recognition for bridging traditional finance with decentralized finance (DeFi).

De Bode studied in both Europe and the U.S., earning a B.Sc. and M.Sc. in Engineering from KU Leuven in Belgium, along with a postgraduate program in Corporate Finance. He later completed an MBA at Stanford University Graduate School of Business, further strengthening his expertise in business strategy and management.

Early Engineering Career

Ian De Bode’s career began with a deep curiosity for how things work. He spent the first part of his professional life in research and development, exploring advanced materials and technology. From 2008 to 2013, he worked at Umicore in Belgium, moving from Research Engineer to Product Development Manager. 

In that role, he led projects that brought lab ideas to real-world applications, learning the importance of balancing innovation with practical execution. Some sources also note his time at imec, a renowned nanoelectronics research hub, where he continued to refine his technical skills and understanding of cutting-edge technology.

Consulting and Digital Assets Leadership

After completing his MBA, De Bode shifted from engineering to consulting, joining McKinsey & Company in 2015. Over the next eight years, he took on a variety of roles, learning how to guide organizations through complex challenges. In 2022, he co-founded McKinsey’s Digital Assets practice and became a Partner, building a global team of over 150 people. 

In this role, he helped traditional financial institutions, tech companies, and investors navigate the emerging digital asset landscape, translating complicated blockchain concepts into actionable business strategies. His work was about more than technology; it was about helping people and companies adapt to a rapidly changing world.

Transition to Ondo Finance

In late 2023, De Bode took a bold step from advisory to operational leadership by joining Ondo Finance as Chief Strategy Officer. This move reflected his desire to shape the future of finance directly, rather than just advising on it. 

In this role, he focused on creating strategies that could scale the company while expanding access to tokenized financial products. The move drew attention in crypto-focused news, signaling a new chapter in his career: one where he could combine his technical knowledge, strategic insight, and leadership skills in a fast-evolving industry.

Presidency and Institutional Expansion

By 2024, De Bode had been promoted to President of Ondo Finance, taking on responsibility for driving the company’s growth and global presence. Under his leadership, Ondo launched Ondo Global Markets in September 2025, a platform offering more than 100 tokenized U.S. stocks and ETFs on the Ethereum network. 

De Bode described the platform as “bringing Wall Street on-chain,” and it quickly became a hub of activity, at times consuming over 10% of Ethereum’s gas in a single day. His approach goes beyond technology; he is focused on making finance more accessible, partnering with platforms like Binance to bring tokenized assets to millions of users worldwide, and bridging traditional markets with the possibilities of decentralized finance.

Bringing Traditional Assets Onchain

On August 15, 2025, Ian De Bode appeared on the YouTube channel The Rollup, where he explored how real-world assets can be brought into the digital realm through tokenization. He explained that this approach is most commonly applied to publicly traded stocks, ETFs, and government bonds, noting that these assets are particularly suited for tokenization because their prices are publicly available and they benefit from established liquidity in traditional markets.

Driving Real-World Change in Finance

Through his leadership, Ian De Bode has helped bring tokenized assets from theory to practice, influencing how institutions approach decentralized finance. By blending hands-on execution, strategic thinking, and technical expertise, he has created solutions that deliver tangible benefits for investors, companies, and platforms around the world. At Ondo Finance, his work shows how thoughtful leadership can expand access to digital finance while keeping the structure and trust of traditional markets intact.

Vision for the Future of Finance

Ian De Bode imagines a financial world where traditional markets and decentralized systems work hand in hand. He sees tokenization not just as a technological innovation, but as a way to make investing more accessible and fair for everyone, not just large institutions. 

For him, the goal is to create markets that are transparent, efficient, and secure, while opening opportunities that were once out of reach for most people. At Ondo Finance, this vision guides every decision, from bringing complex financial products on-chain to designing systems that let more individuals and institutions participate in global markets.

Final Thoughts

Ian De Bode’s journey showcases a rare blend of technical skill, strategic thinking, and forward-looking leadership. From his early work in engineering to building McKinsey’s Digital Assets practice and now leading Ondo Finance, he has focused on connecting traditional finance with the possibilities of decentralized assets. His work goes beyond innovation, creating real-world impact by making financial markets more accessible, transparent, and inclusive for institutions and individuals worldwide.