From "Degen" to the financial leader: Christian and Infini's journey of growth

Crisis of Trust - The Most Valuable Lesson for Young Entrepreneurs

Only a few months into 2025, Christian - founder of Infini - has faced challenges that many entrepreneurs might not encounter throughout their careers. A security incident involving $50 million is not just a number; it’s a major test of customer trust - something Christian believes, in the financial sector, is more valuable than any product feature.

His initial reaction was shock - a blank mind, confusion about fate. But in just a moment, Christian realized there were only two paths: either overcome the challenge and lead the team forward; or accept a game over ending. He chose the first path, and the results speak for themselves - after March-April, Infini not only recovered but also grew exponentially.

“The biggest thing I gained from this incident is respect,” Christian shared. It’s not weak fear, but respect for the scale of work, for customers, for the market. The younger generation, when everything goes smoothly, can become complacent. But Infini learned a lesson similar to SBF’s - lack of respect and reverence will ultimately lead to market rejection.

From this crisis, Christian restructured all recruitment standards and team mechanisms. He realized that, no matter how good the product is, the core remains people - how they treat customers, their readiness to serve 24/7, and the level of respect for users’ assets.

From ToC to Global: Infini’s Strategic Pivot Journey

Christian is not a typical startup founder by textbook. In 2022, he was still a true “Degen” in crypto - diving into NFTs, DeFi, memes, with emotions swinging with the market. But over the past few years, he learned that: in finance, efficiency isn’t the issue, trust is.

Initially, Infini focused on ToC - providing U cards, payment services aiming to minimize costs so anyone can use them. But this path quickly revealed limitations. The mass customer base didn’t generate revenue, but consumed enormous amounts of time resolving issues. R&D teams had to work overnight firefighting, customer service was overwhelmed.

Deeper root cause: the network was too long, with too many steps, making control difficult anywhere problems arose. Moreover, no matter how well done, the work was essentially arbitrage based on regulations - not creating truly new value.

That’s when Christian decided to give up. Although ToC business was stable, if it couldn’t help him achieve bigger goals within the expected timeframe, he needed a more worthy path to invest in. “A good founder must have the courage to give up,” he said, “even if it’s a business segment that’s doing well.”

Currently, Infini is shifting toward providing blockchain-based acquiring services. Major difference: this platform allows independent founders, developers, small teams to open accounts and start receiving money without relying on traditional banking systems. In the AI era, where development-to-launch time is shortened, this is truly a lifeline.

Stablecoin: The Key to Democratizing Financial Services

Christian believes that the greatest opportunities are not just in cross-border B2B payments, but in scenarios closer to where transactions happen. How can the new generation of founders easily receive money, manage capital? How can they target global markets from the start without local restrictions?

This is where stablecoins are about to realize their value. Instead of just optimizing experience on the old banking system (like many mature Fintech companies), Infini aims to build a new payment network based on blockchain technology.

In fact, some of Infini’s merchants have already started using stablecoins to pay for Netflix, Starlink, or shop on global platforms. Why go through stablecoins to then convert to cards? The longer the chain, the greater the loss. For merchants, adding a stablecoin revenue channel is essentially adding a new income stream.

Core Moat: Not Features, But Company’s Core

When asked about competitive advantages over established Fintech companies like Revolut, Christian candidly said: “Ideas are worthless; functions and interfaces can be copied. What’s truly hard to copy is the core of a company.”

He explained: how you treat customers, your willingness to respond 24/7 when issues arise, the respect for their assets - these factors cannot be duplicated. Today, many products are similar in features, with faster updates and better experiences, but timely and patient responses are what matter most.

Fintech doesn’t have the strong network effects like social products; it’s not winner-takes-all. Trust is the fundamental factor customers choose.

Changing Perspectives on Finance

The past year has changed how Christian views financial talent. From “Founders must have respect” to “Help users understand real risks,” he has gradually built a bigger picture.

“The public may not necessarily need financial products, but they need the right financial mindset,” Christian affirms. Any product can have issues. A user shouldn’t place full trust in a single asset or organization. Instead of offering a “better-looking” asset management product, Infini wants users to truly understand risks and maintain independent judgment.

Therefore, he has begun adjusting his strategy. From just managing assets, now he wants to excel in payments and cash flow first. Because “earning and collecting money” must come before capital accumulation, then management and protection.

On Team Selection and Organizational Management

Age is not the decisive factor. Christian doesn’t hire based on birth year, but on three core criteria:

First: Learning speed and curiosity. In a new field, with almost no templates to copy, self-learning ability is top priority.

Second: Long-term vision. Infini isn’t a company aiming for quick profits via tokens or coins. He wants to build a long-term internet platform. Those seeking short-term gains are not suitable.

Third: Absolute honesty. Startups with too many political layers reduce efficiency. Everyone makes mistakes, including Christian, but what matters is the courage to speak out, not silence out of fear. Otherwise, the team’s common goals will be affected.

When asked about management philosophy, Christian emphasized that standout products often lie in details - every detail of the product, every copy, every design element, every way functions are implemented determines the final outcome. Managing the team is similar - if the founder sets the example and standards, the team will execute more effectively.

As CEO, Christian is not just fundraising, recruiting, or setting directions. He must be on the front line, eager to learn, constantly improving. This attitude creates “morale” - making everyone see that the leader is thinking, growing.

Another key decision: letting unsuitable people leave early is better. The team’s average quality must be high enough. Instead of expanding to hundreds or thousands, with AI support in the future, the team will be leaner, but each member must be independent and maintain high quality.

The True Mission of Financial Products

When asked to describe his ideal Fintech product in one sentence, Christian replied: “The true mission is democratization - bringing banking capabilities and financial services to everyone fairly, especially those who want to start a business.”

Currently, cross-border payments still face many limitations: high fees, unstable timing, complex anti-money laundering procedures across countries. Many Fintech products still require customers to have traditional bank accounts - creating artificial barriers.

Christian believes that for B2B companies, the greatest future value is enabling businesses to open and use financial services without relying on bank accounts as a foundation. For independent developers, small teams, startups, this will exponentially improve onboarding efficiency.

The advantage of this new generation founder is: from infrastructure and technology, they can operate more globally, especially rapidly covering emerging markets, allowing users to register and use services more freely and smoothly.

A Year of Challenges and Continuous Learning

By the end of 2025, Christian doesn’t want the year to drag on. But looking back, he feels fortunate. This has been his fastest growth year. Instead of just focusing on difficulties, he asks himself: if I could do it again, what could I do better? What lessons can I learn?

Additionally, he recognizes the value of those around him - colleagues, friends, family - who have also endured this tough period. This year has also helped him see clearly who truly stands with him, even in hardship, to solve problems together. Those people deserve long-term trust.

Infini and Christian are entering the core of financial business - not just moving fast, but also enduring slowness and pain.