Hard Yaka

Hard Yaka, Inc., established in 2010 and headquartered in Crystal Bay, Nevada, is a private equity firm focusing on buyout and distressed investments. It specializes in investing in companies that facilitate digital transformation, such as those focused on portable identity, payments, and marketplaces. The firm typically seeks majority stakes in its investments. Additionally, Hard Yaka makes early round investments in startup companies within the exchange space, targeting verticals in specific exchange markets or horizontal services providers across various exchange sectors.

Pep Gomez

Partner

Jun Hiraga

Partner

Kevin Leiske

Partner

Margaret Slemmer

Partner

Katie Sullivan

Partner

Past deals in Bitcoin

Blockdaemon

Series A in 2021
Blockdaemon Inc. is a blockchain node management platform that enables businesses, enterprises, and developers to efficiently deploy and manage blockchain applications. Founded in 2013 and headquartered in Los Angeles, California, with additional offices in New York and Ireland, the company provides tools that allow users to manage nodes across more than 30 blockchain protocols, including Bitcoin, Ethereum, and Polkadot. Blockdaemon's solution is designed to be fully portable, enabling users to easily switch between networks and chains without the need for extensive configuration. The company also supports the blockchain developer ecosystem by offering expert dev-ops advice, facilitating smoother integration and deployment in the rapidly evolving blockchain landscape.

Coinme

Venture Round in 2020
Coinme Inc. is a prominent bitcoin exchange and ATM operator based in Seattle, Washington, founded in 2014. The company operates the largest licensed cryptocurrency cash exchange in the United States, facilitating the buying and selling of bitcoin at thousands of physical locations across 48 states through partnerships with companies like Coinstar and MoneyGram. Coinme provides a comprehensive suite of consumer products, including a digital wallet and solutions for digital currency IRAs and 401(k)s, making it easier for customers to engage with the digital currency economy. Additionally, Coinme offers a proprietary API that enables legacy financial systems and existing ATMs, kiosks, and merchants to integrate cryptocurrency capabilities, thus promoting broader access to virtual currencies and secure transactions.

ShapeShift

Seed Round in 2016
ShapeShift is a digital currency exchange platform established in July 2014, designed to facilitate the instant conversion of Bitcoin and various altcoins. The platform distinguishes itself by allowing users to trade cryptocurrencies without the need for user accounts or registration, thereby enhancing privacy and reducing risks associated with personal information and funds. In the summer of 2019, ShapeShift introduced a new platform that empowers users to self-custody their crypto assets while providing functionalities to buy, sell, trade, track, send, and receive cryptocurrencies independently of third-party involvement. Additionally, the company operates CoinCap.io, a real-time crypto market data service, and acquired the hardware wallet company KeepKey in 2017. ShapeShift is led by industry veteran Erik Voorhees.

Bitso

Seed Round in 2015
Bitso is a cryptocurrency exchange platform founded in 2014 and headquartered in Mexico City, Mexico. The company specializes in facilitating the buying and selling of bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies, providing users with a marketplace where they can trade fractions of various digital assets. Bitso's platform is designed for ease of use, allowing customers to conduct transactions and make payments via mobile devices. By focusing on the fintech and blockchain sectors, Bitso aims to enhance accessibility to cryptocurrency trading for users in Mexico and beyond.

37coins

Venture Round in 2014
37coins is a bitcoin startup based in Sunnyvale, California, focused on providing SMS bitcoin wallet services to unbanked and underserved populations in developing economies who lack Internet access. By enabling individuals to send and receive money via SMS, 37coins aims to enhance financial inclusion globally. The company has launched its services and is currently part of the Plug and Play Tech Center's bitcoin accelerator program. It also allows users with Internet access to sign up as gateway operators, facilitating transactions and earning fees in the process. With growing partnerships in regions such as Singapore and the Philippines, 37coins strives to make bitcoin more accessible through its user-friendly SMS technology.

Bitso

Venture Round in 2014
Bitso is a cryptocurrency exchange platform founded in 2014 and headquartered in Mexico City, Mexico. The company specializes in facilitating the buying and selling of bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies, providing users with a marketplace where they can trade fractions of various digital assets. Bitso's platform is designed for ease of use, allowing customers to conduct transactions and make payments via mobile devices. By focusing on the fintech and blockchain sectors, Bitso aims to enhance accessibility to cryptocurrency trading for users in Mexico and beyond.

TradeBlock

Seed Round in 2014
TradeBlock Inc., established in 2013 and headquartered in New York, specializes in developing institutional trading tools for digital currencies. The company provides financial institutions with execution and analysis tools tailored to cryptocurrency markets, offering global market data insights on trading, regulations, mining, blockchain analysis, protocol updates, and economic developments. As of December 2020, TradeBlock operates as a subsidiary of CoinDesk LLC.

LedgerX

Series A in 2014
LedgerX LLC is a developer of an institutional derivatives exchange platform specifically for digital currencies. Founded in 2014 and based in Vail, Colorado, the company operates as a subsidiary of NYBX LLC. LedgerX has applied for registration with the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission to function as a swap execution facility and derivatives clearing organization. The platform is designed to facilitate smooth trading in cryptocurrency futures and options, offering features such as physical settlement of contracts, block trading, and algorithmic trading. This enables both individual traders and institutions to transact in cryptocurrencies with increased efficiency and regulatory oversight.

Coinbase Global

Seed Round in 2012
Coinbase Global, established in 2012, operates a leading cryptocurrency exchange platform in the United States. The company facilitates transactions, buying, selling, and storage of digital currencies such as Bitcoin, Ethereum, and Litecoin for both consumers and merchants. Coinbase offers a range of products including Coinbase.com, a user-friendly platform for bitcoin transactions, a global digital asset exchange, merchant tools, and custodial services. The company, headquartered in San Francisco, California, aims to provide a safe and regulation-compliant entry point into the cryptocurrency economy.
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