by Dan Held is a crypto expert with decades of experience in finance. He has been an advisor for investment firms, hedge funds, and other investment groups. He’s also an entrepreneur who co-founded three companies, including Chicago’s first bitcoin ATM company – Coinsource.
Dan Held has been a regular on CNBC and Fox News as a cryptocurrency expert and featured in numerous articles highlighting his knowledge in this cutting-edge field. As a result of his attempts, he has become one of the world’s most well-known advocates for cryptocurrency.
Dan Held has a bachelor’s degree from Wheaton College in Illinois and then completed his MBA at Harvard University. He also holds certifications including Chartered Alternative Investment Analyst (CAIA), Certified Financial Planner (CFP), and a Chartered Market Technician (CMT).
Dan Held featured on CNBC, Fox Business, Bloomberg, and others.
Dan Held Early Life
Held was born into a Greek-American family in Chicago, Illinois. He holds undergraduate degrees from Wheaton College (Chicago, IL) and advanced degrees from Harvard Business School.
While at Wheaton, Held was a member of the soccer team and captain of the men’s team. He served as chairman of Wheaton’s Greek Life for three years. While at Harvard, he joined an exclusive student investment club where he met his future partners.
While at Harvard, Held was the president of a student investment club. The group represented one of the largest student investment clubs at Harvard and focused on real estate investment. As members, the group counted several prominent investors, including Malcolm Forbes and Michael Milken.
Dan Held Career
Dan Held started his career as a portfolio manager for hedge fund Lincoln Capital in 2000. Held eventually co-founded Infogroup’s first bitcoin ATM company – Coinsource. He is also the founder of Blockchain & Bitcoin Education Network, where he teaches blockchain and investing classes. Held has worked with various hedge funds, private equity firms, private clients, and even governments as an investor.
Dan Held, Founder of Coinsource, started the company in 2015 with Denver-based investment firm Digital Currency Group to introduce bitcoin ATMs to underdeveloped markets.
The first few months of 2015 had so much volatility for Bitcoin prices that CoinDesk reported that the Coin ATM was only selling about four bitcoins per day. As bitcoin became more normalized and accepted in the US, Coinsource’s operations expanded to include brick-and-mortar bitcoin retailers in major cities and universities across America.
One of the earliest examples of cryptocurrencies being used to buy real-world goods is Coinsource working with the Vans Skate Park in Detroit. They have been using Coinsource services since 2016 to help make the park more accessible to skaters and local consumers.
Dan Held married Adrienne Wentland in 2017. The couple has two children together. Held is a co-founder of Coinsource, and they are both actively investing in cryptocurrency startups.
Media Interactions
Dan Held is frequently a guest on CNBC and Bloomberg to discuss his thoughts on Wall Street’s activity in the cryptocurrency market. Since 2014, he has spoken about cryptocurrencies at conferences including Money2020, Blockchain World Congress, Chicago Bitcoin Center, and Tokyo Bitcoin Meetup. He has also featured in Forbes, TheStreet.com, and CoinDesk.
Held has also been a guest speaker for the World Blockchain Forum. The World Blockchain Forum, founded by Dubai International Financial Center, is an annual event where companies and investors meet to discuss the blockchain and alternative investments.
Dan Held has co-authored two books with Simon Black, “Bit by Bit: How Bitcoin Can Save the World” and “Digital Gold: Bitcoin and the Inside Story of the Misfits and Millionaires Trying to Reinvent Money.
Awards and Achievements
Held has earned several awards, including being named the top financial advisor in 2014, 2015, and 2016 by the National Association of Personal Financial Advisors. He was also named best financial advisor in 2013 and 2014 by the Chicago Association of Realtors. Held was also named a top advisor in 2015 by the Luxury Institute of New York.
Dan Held contributed to several companies since starting his career, some of which include. Fifth Third Securities, Lincoln Capital, Infogroup, and Analytics.
