John Whelan

Managing Director of Crypto & Digital Assets at Banco Santander's Corporate and Investment Bank

John Whelan is the Managing Director of Crypto & Digital Assets at Banco Santander's Corporate and Investment Bank in Madrid.  He has been involved in crypto and blockchain-related projects since 2014 and has led many initiatives using the technology since joining the bank in 2016 to lead its blockchain lab.

Prior to joining Santander, John was the founder of a Silicon Valley-funded blockchain startup focused on institutional credit ratings and has deep expertise across the many different flavors of blockchain technology (Bitcoin, Ripple, Ethereum, Corda, etc.).

Before entering the blockchain space, John spent 10 years in the management consulting industry with a post-MBA stint as a market maker at the Chicago Board Options Exchange in 2001/2002.

John has an undergraduate degree in Chemical Engineering from University College Dublin and an MBA in Finance from DePaul University in Chicago.