Timing Isn't Everything: How Venture Leaders Helped Crypto Finance Expand Beyond Switzerland

Sometimes the biggest entrepreneurial opportunities come from ideas that others are not yet ready to pursue. That was exactly the case for Jan Brzezek, Founder and Former CEO of Crypto Finance. While working at UBS, he became fascinated by blockchain technology through internal innovation projects. When the bank decided not to move forward, he left the security of corporate banking to build the company himself. Four years later, Crypto Finance had grown into one of Europe's leading digital asset companies before being acquired by Deutsche Börse. Looking back, one of the defining moments on that journey was Venture Leaders FinTech in Hong Kong, where Jan gained first-hand insights into international expansion, fundraising and the power of building a strong founder network.

Leaving Corporate Life to Build Something New 

Jan Brzezek did not set out to become a startup founder. After building his career in banking, he found himself working on innovation projects around blockchain, tokenisation and cryptocurrencies. The more he explored the technology, the more convinced he became that it would fundamentally change financial markets. 

He presented the opportunity internally, hoping to develop the idea within the bank. When that did not happen, he faced a difficult decision. Leaving a stable corporate career, especially with a family, meant giving up financial security for an uncertain future. 

"It was a completely different world," he recalls. "Nobody was telling you what to do anymore." 

Building Crypto Finance required learning almost every aspect of entrepreneurship from scratch. Alongside developing the business, Brzezek had to build a team, raise capital, win customers and define the company's long-term strategy. The transition from banker to entrepreneur was challenging, but it also proved deeply rewarding. 
 

 

Learning to Pitch on a Global Stage 
 

By the time Jan joined Venture Leaders FinTech in Hong Kong in 2019, Crypto Finance was preparing for its next phase of growth. The company had already secured funding in Switzerland and was exploring opportunities to expand internationally, particularly in Asia. 
 
Only a few months later, Crypto Finance announced a CHF 14 million Series B financing round led by Swiss and Asian investors, providing fresh momentum for its international expansion. 

The roadshow offered far more than access to investors. It provided an opportunity to experience a completely different business culture while connecting with entrepreneurs facing many of the same challenges. 

For Brzezek, one of the most valuable aspects was the Venture Leaders community itself. Spending an intensive week travelling, pitching and exchanging experiences created relationships that continue years later. 

"We still meet every year," he says. "We're like brothers in arms." 

Watching other founders pitch, receiving feedback and observing how investors reacted to different storytelling styles helped him refine his own approach. He also discovered that raising capital internationally required a different narrative. 

Swiss investors, he explains, often value precision, credibility and measurable execution. International investors, particularly in Asia and the US, expect founders to communicate a much bigger vision. They want to understand not only what a company has achieved but also how it intends to reshape an entire industry. 
 

 

Building a Global Company Means Building the Right Team 
 

International growth also changed how Crypto Finance built its organisation. Expanding into new markets required hiring local talent who understood cultural differences, customer expectations and market dynamics. 

While diverse teams bring new perspectives and local expertise, Brzezek quickly realised they also require different leadership approaches. Processes, communication styles and expectations are not always the same across cultures. Leaders need to provide clarity while creating a shared understanding of goals and values. 

Those lessons became increasingly important as Crypto Finance grew rapidly during the cryptocurrency boom. Between its founding in 2017 and its acquisition by Deutsche Börse in 2021, the company expanded into one of Europe's leading providers of digital asset services. 

Looking back, Brzezek believes timing also played a major role. Deutsche Börse acquired a majority stake during a period of exceptional market momentum, but he is convinced the transaction happened at the right moment for both sides. Rather than waiting for even higher valuations, he prioritised long-term stability for the business, its customers and a team that had grown to around 120 employees. 

The entrepreneurial journey also changed the way he thinks about leadership. Unlike in large organisations, founders rarely receive the easy questions. Teams solve most operational challenges themselves, leaving entrepreneurs to make decisions on the most difficult problems. That makes stepping back and maintaining a clear strategic perspective essential. 

Today, Brzezek has already started his next venture. While the industry is very different, many of the lessons remain the same. He believes founders should seek experienced mentors, think carefully about long-term architecture instead of only building minimum viable products and resist the temptation to optimise purely for speed. 

With AI making it easier than ever to launch new products, he argues that sustainable businesses will increasingly be defined not by how quickly they release something, but by how well the underlying platform is built. 

As Venture Leaders celebrates 20 years, Brzezek's advice to the next generation of entrepreneurs reflects his own journey. Building a company is less like a sprint and more like hiking along a mountain ridge. Success depends on staying focused, navigating constant uncertainty and always remembering where you ultimately want to go. 


Crypto Finance grew from a startup founded in 2017 into one of Europe's leading digital asset companies before joining Deutsche Börse Group. 

 

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