The world of crypto and decentralized technologies is no longer an internet niche, home to a few pioneers on the frontier of fintech. It is now a thriving industry for people of all backgrounds, interests – and genders.
Women are entering the space en masse to find financial freedom from traditional systems and to help create the future of digital interactions.
In an exclusive interview with Yi He, co-founder and chief communication strategy officer of Cointelegraph, Binance shared what it’s like to be a woman at the head of one of the largest organizations in the crypto industry.
Prior to her conversation with Cointelegraph Yi tweeted that in the crypto space as we know it, only “5% of founders are female” and she’s proud to be part of that statistic.
Only 5% of crypto founders are female. I’m part of the statistic – and I’m proud.
We are paving a path for other women to rise boldly in the blockchain space. And we’ve only just begun. #Build together #International Women’s Day pic.twitter.com/T8MwZ2sqvP
— Yi He (@heyibinance) March 6, 2023
Like many in the crypto space, Yi He came from a field outside of financial technology. Recalling her roots in television broadcasting, she went on to explain how her family expected her to become a teacher.
However, she said that once she discovered Bitcoin and the possibilities of decentralized finance, her life took a different turn.
To women who want to enter the space but feel a sense of hesitation due to a lack of familiarity with the space and jargon, or fear gender bias, Yi says:
“Never set a limit for yourself.”
As an executive at one of crypto’s leading institutions, Yi says there are three key components women should focus on for success in the industry: mindset, growth management, and decision-making.
The mindset in particular Yi said to be assertive and achieve the goals you set for yourself and your team, “take responsibility and be a problem solver.”
“Forget your gender. Don’t focus on being a woman in a man’s world. Instead, focus on how to be a good business leader, whether you’re male or female.”
Yi He said that now at Binance, one of the crypto space’s largest entities, nearly 30% of senior leaders are women and report directly to CZ. One of the main ways to do this is through education.
Related: 15 Influential Women Entrepreneurs in Web3
During the interview, an employee who works with Yi at Binance said that Yi personally trained many employees, including herself.
Yi concluded the interview by saying that the most important thing is something both men and women can focus on as leaders – being a leader who “understands the world and cares about the community that is being built.”
Binance Charity recently announced its initiative to provide more than 30,000 Web3 grants in the coming year, some of which are specifically aimed at women-facing organizations in developing countries.