Before Ethereum captured market attention, it existed merely as a concept in a college dropout’s mind.

Crypto’s leading companies are often created not in formal offices but in dorm rooms, group discussions, and hackathons, led by entrepreneurs who disregard the need for institutional approval (many even leave college without finishing). This pattern isn’t incidental; it reflects a recurring theme: visionary concepts, prompt execution, and a disregard for traditional institutional timelines.

In 2014, a collective of students established the Blockchain Education Network (BEN) to unite students interested in bitcoin and blockchain at universities. In just one year, BEN blossomed to over 160 chapters worldwide.

Initially focused on grassroots education, BEN evolved into a platform for budding innovators. It became a springboard for its core members and a diverse group of students who viewed cryptocurrency as an open field for exploration. Some chose to drop out, while others continued their studies; almost all began creating solutions before mainstream adoption ensued. Projects emerging from this environment have achieved a combined peak valuation surpassing $20 billion, featuring names like IOTA, Optimism, Bitso, Augur, Wanchain, Notional, and Roll.

This same proactive spirit prompted both me and Erick Pinos, former leader of MIT’s Bitcoin Club, to launch Dropout Capital, which supports young, technically skilled entrepreneurs ready to act before wider recognition occurs.

Erick Pinos will represent Dropout Capital at Consensus 2025 on May 16, participating in a panel session titled “The Talent Pipeline: How to Find a Job in Crypto.”

In Pinos’ words:

“Over the past seven years, we’ve encountered numerous student founders, and at least half a dozen have reached unicorn status…we look forward to providing more individuals the chance to participate in financing the upcoming wave of blockchain innovations.”

This urgency is not a modern phenomenon; it embodies the same ambition that drove early technology titans. Icons such as Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak (Apple), Jack Dorsey (Twitter, Square), along with Patrick and John Collison (Stripe), all departed their educational journeys to construct companies that transformed their respective sectors.

Likewise, Web3 innovators are following a similar trajectory. Notable crypto founders who also embraced this entrepreneurial leap include:

• Vitalik Buterin, who left the University of Waterloo to create Ethereum (which reached over $500 billion at its height).
• Charles Hoskinson dropped out from the University of Colorado prior to founding Cardano (which peaked at $70 billion).
• Jed McCaleb, co-founder of Ripple and Stellar, abandoned UC Berkeley (Ripple peaked at $130 billion).
• Jesse Powell left Cal State to establish Kraken (valued at $10 billion).
• Shayne Coplan exited NYU in his first semester to initiate Polymarket (projected valuation at $1 billion).
• Joey Krug departed Pomona to co-found Augur (touched $1 billion peak).
• Jeremy Gardner, who co-founded Augur alongside Krug, left the University of Michigan (peaked at $1 billion).
• Jinglan Wang departed Wellesley to develop Eximchain before contributing to Optimism (approaching $11 billion valuation).
• Noah Tweedale, co-founder of Pump.fun, bypassed formal registration (estimated at over $1 billion).

At Dropout Capital, we’ve invested in early-stage enterprises such as:

• Vana, created at MIT, which focuses on a decentralized data marketplace.
• SatLayer, founded by MIT alumni and former VCs, aims to deliver Bitcoin-native computing for AI.
• Tenderize, initiated by students at Marquette University, concentrates on liquid staking.
• Algebra.Finance, established by a Ph.D. holder in Computer Science with a background in mobile OS development, seeks to innovate on-chain prediction structures.

These narratives, alongside future ones, are being explored in ChainStories, a podcast I co-host with Erick. ChainStories provides insights into the backstories of successful crypto projects, including Plume Network, YesNoError, Algebra.Finance, Virtuals.io, TON, Horizon Labs, and more, illustrating the journey from concept to launch, guiding founders and investors through the pivotal decisions and risks encountered before gaining public attention.

The evolution of cryptocurrency is not refined through lengthy theoretical discussions at conferences or cumbersome corporate approvals.

Instead, it’s shaped by individuals who act swiftly, embrace risks, and start constructing solutions before society recognizes the developments at play. Based on historical patterns, the most impactful companies will likely be those that ventured ahead without hesitation.