Paradigm Adds 14-Year Crypto Veteran Ricardo de Arruda

Ricardo de Arruda has joined Paradigm as an Investment and Research Partner, marking a significant addition to the firm's team. Arruda brings a unique perspective to Paradigm, having started his journey with cryptocurrency in 2017 at the age of 14. Unable to create a bank account due to his age, he turned to crypto for payments, immediately resonating with the concept of "permissionless" systems. This early experience laid the foundation for his deep interest in the crypto space.

Arruda's professional career has been marked by a focus on data and its application in understanding the crypto landscape. He has designed more accurate industry metrics, created infrastructure to handle vast amounts of blockchain data, and helped protocols distribute over $5 billion in airdrops. His expertise in these areas will be invaluable as he joins Paradigm to explore these threads further, with a focus on separating organic from inorganic activity and researching new ecosystems.

At Paradigm, Arruda will work alongside Matt, Alana, and the rest of the team to push the frontier of crypto forward. He is particularly excited about partnering with teams to design smarter user acquisition and retention programs. The crypto industry spends billions of dollars on token incentives, but there is a lack of reliable frameworks to answer fundamental questions such as who the real users are versus sybils and how to ensure incentives lead to sustained engagement. Arruda plans to dive deep into these problem spaces, incorporating on-chain data analysis, applied ZK, and novel distribution mechanisms.

Arruda's decision to join Paradigm was influenced by his experience with the Paradigm Fellowship, where he was consistently impressed by the team's intellectual rigor, principled thinking, and unwavering optimism about crypto’s future. He looks forward to working alongside them and contributing to the firm's mission of advancing the crypto industry.

Arruda is eager to engage with others working at the frontier of crypto. He invites anyone with ideas and problems to reach out to him via X DMs or email at ricardo@paradigm.xyz. His addition to Paradigm is expected to bring fresh insights and innovative approaches to the firm's investment and research processes, further solidifying Paradigm's position as a leader in the crypto space.