In this episode of Riding Unicorns, James and Hector sit down with Simone Maini, CEO of Elliptic, the world’s leading blockchain analytics company. Simone’s career path is anything but conventional — from a history degree and Deutsche Bank to leading a $100M+ funded crypto intelligence powerhouse.

🧠 After 8 years in banking and a stint in anti-money laundering consulting, Simone joined Elliptic as Head of Product. What began as a pivot turned into a mission: tackling financial crime in the digital asset space. When Elliptic hit an inflection point, Simone stepped into the CEO role — enabling the founder to focus on product while she scaled operations and managed the board.

👥 One of Simone’s most powerful lessons? Hiring an experienced Chair who had been a CEO — a move that transformed how Elliptic operated at board level and beyond. From transparency to over-communication, Simone shares a refreshing and tactical take on what it really takes to lead through complexity.

We dive into:

🚀 Founder to CEO transition — The playbook for scaling when roles are clearly defined
📊 Mastering board management — Running better meetings, communicating through chaos
💾 Business model evolution — Moving from SaaS to data-as-a-service for enterprise clients
📉 Crypto market cycles — Leading through volatility without losing focus
💪 Building resilience — Fostering curiosity and discipline in fast-moving markets
🏢 Enterprise adoption — Why crypto infrastructure is still early — and full of potential
This is a must-listen for founders, operators, and anyone navigating leadership, growth, and the wild world of crypto. Simone’s thoughtful, candid approach is packed with wisdom on how to scale with integrity.

🎧 Listen now on your favourite platform and don’t forget to like, subscribe, and follow Riding Unicorns for more inspiring episodes. 🦄

Michael Hasselberg, Chief Digital Health Officer at UR Medicine