Arthur Hayes ’08 has built his career around currency — cryptocurrency to be precise. You could say that money makes his world go round. So, it may surprise you to hear him say that human and social capital, not money, are “two of the least recognized forms of capital that people possess.”

Arthur is the founder of BitMEX, a cryptocurrency derivatives marketplace start-up based in the Seychelles. Speaking to JRF Scholars and alumni recently, Arthur asserted that BitMEX is the most liquid bitcoin platform in the world and has an average of $3.7 billion of turnover every day. He was even recently featured in Fortune’s prestigious “40 under 40” list.

All of this began with Arthur earning an economics degree from the Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania, an achievement that he credits JRF with aiding. “JRF helps bright students enhance their human capital through its university educational grants, allowing students who lack sufficient financial resources to attend top-notch higher learning institutions,” he says.

Earlier this year, Arthur himself invested in human and social capital on behalf of the next generation by giving a substantial gift to JRF. We are very grateful for his generosity, which is furthering the work of a legacy that has instilled great pride in all of us.