Opening Financial Markets to Everyone: An Interview with Valentin Preobrazhenskiy, CEO of LATOKEN
Can you introduce yourself and tell us about LATOKEN?
I’m Valentin Preobrazhenskiy, CEO and founder of LATOKEN, one of the leading cryptocurrency exchanges focused on altcoins. Previously, I managed a hedge fund where I developed a passion for discovering promising investments and now help traders find hidden crypto gems while empowering founders to successfully launch tokens that gain real community traction.
How did you get the idea to launch LATOKEN?
Before LATOKEN, I ran a long-short equity hedge fund where I successfully predicted geopolitical risks in 2014, moving my portfolio away from exposure to Russian markets towards more global opportunities. At that turning point, I had two choices: join the highly competitive Wall Street environment or pursue an entirely new avenue—blockchain technology—that very few understood at the time.
Organizing hundreds of tech meetups opened my eyes to blockchain and ICO trends. Ethereum, launched by Vitalik Buterin, particularly intrigued me because startups suddenly had the tools to essentially “print their own money” through tokenization. It became clear to me that blockchain would soon revolutionize asset ownership. Millions of assets would be tokenized, demanding a completely new infrastructure. That’s when I transitioned part of my team from my home equity loan platform to build LATOKEN. We launched our ICO in 2017 and quickly grew from there.
How has LATOKEN evolved since launching?
Today, LATOKEN supports more than 4 million user accounts from 127 countries and lists over 2,000 digital assets. We’re consistently ranked among the top 50 crypto exchanges globally according to CoinMarketCap and CoinGecko, and Forbes named us one of the Top 30 Remote Employers worldwide. Our strength lies in identifying innovative tokens early, providing investors a first-mover advantage.
What fuels your passion for this mission?
My passion is deeply personal. Growing up in post-Soviet Russia during the economic collapse of the 1990s profoundly shaped my worldview. I vividly remember being with my family, picking berries in a peaceful forest, while at home, hyperinflation had wiped out our savings overnight. My parents, both highly skilled engineers, lost their jobs during that turbulent time.
Studying economics at the New Economic School further reinforced my belief in secure property rights as the foundation for stability and growth. Blockchain captivated me precisely because it provides a transparent, secure method to protect wealth, independent of unreliable institutions or politics. That potential continues to inspire everything I do at LATOKEN.
How will blockchain and altcoins reshape the financial industry?
Blockchain addresses one critical global issue: secure property rights without costly institutional oversight. Traditional financial systems require extensive infrastructure—armies, police, courts, central banks—to guarantee property ownership. Many countries simply can’t sustain such complex institutions, leaving billions excluded from financial stability.
Blockchain technology eliminates these barriers, allowing anyone to open accounts and trade digital assets easily, like signing up for an email service. Beyond inclusivity, altcoins offer a hedge against fiat currency devaluation and create a web3 economy where users become stakeholders and founders scale rapidly.
What role does AI play in the crypto world?
AI significantly streamlines crypto operations, helping traders discover new tokens through advanced analytics, recommendations, and market summarization. At LATOKEN, we’ve embraced AI to automate processes like customer interactions during token listings, qualifying leads, and even transforming our HR department. AI-powered tools screen resumes, conduct candidate assessments, and organize streamlined interviews. This allowed us to efficiently build and manage a fully remote global team of over 150 experts, reflecting the blockchain ethos of transparency and efficiency internally.
What’s your outlook on the current crypto market?
Currently, altcoins face challenging liquidity conditions due to high interest rates drawing capital away from the crypto sector. However, I view this as a temporary downturn. As soon as macroeconomic pressures ease, liquidity will rapidly return—first into Bitcoin and Ethereum, and later into strong altcoins backed by vibrant communities and practical use-cases. Hedge funds are already positioning themselves to capitalize on these undervalued assets, signaling an upcoming market revival.
What are your thoughts on recent crypto policy developments in the US?
Recent regulatory moves in the US have been cautiously optimistic. Authorities recognize the value of stablecoins and tokenized treasuries to expand the dollar’s global footprint without cumbersome intermediaries. By halting the push for a central bank digital currency, the US has subtly embraced decentralized innovation over centralized alternatives, potentially unlocking institutional capital and fostering wider adoption.
Tell us about your involvement with the Founder Institute.
At the Founder Institute, a global startup accelerator with alumni companies exceeding $20 billion in valuation, I served as both a Director and Mentor. I guided early-stage entrepreneurs through the critical phases of refining their ideas, crafting viable products, and raising funds. Drawing on my LATOKEN journey, I shared firsthand experiences on scaling operations, overcoming fundraising challenges, and staying competitive in fast-evolving markets.
What about your role in the Blockchain Economic Forum?
Launching the Blockchain Economic Forum (BEF) in 2017 is among my proudest achievements. BEF became a unique global platform connecting blockchain innovators with policymakers and institutional investors. We held impactful forums in cities like Davos, New York, San Francisco, and London, gathering influential leaders including presidents, EU policymakers, SEC leadership, and top economists. The aim was to facilitate transition of DeFi into the mainstream financial system. I love connecting founders to build the future and made over 500 documented tech meetups.
You’ve also judged startup pitch competitions—can you elaborate on this experience?
I’ve had the privilege of judging international startup competitions focused on Web3 at Gain Web3 Pitch Competitions in partnership with Duke University’s Web3 Ecosystem, DevCon and Blockchain life forums in 2024. Judging allowed me to help founders sharpen their market strategies, refine their products, and prepare for scaling.
Do you have any unique or controversial views you’d like to share?
I believe that the universal goal of life can be measured as global economy capitalization with a Nasdaq as a well-known proxy. Currency is a control right to use energy for the self-replication of symbiosis of programs, constituting Sapience. Future cash flow essentially reflects strategic viability of life. I find this concept useful to prioritize conflicting goals and run a
Any final thoughts?
My mission remains steadfast: ensure every person has meaningful access to economic opportunity. Whether through LATOKEN, mentoring founders, or facilitating global forums, my goal is removing barriers to financial inclusion. Access to the global financial system shouldn’t be a privilege—it should be universally accessible, creating a more stable and united world.
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