BitGo
BitGo, Inc. is a digital asset infrastructure company providing secure custody, wallets, staking, trading, financing, and settlement services for cryptocurrencies and other digital assets.[1] Founded in 2013 by Mike Belshe and Ben Davenport and headquartered in Palo Alto, California, it pioneered the commercialization of multi-signature wallets to enhance security through distributed key control and later developed Threshold Signature Schemes (TSS) as an advancement over multi-party computation approaches.[1][2] BitGo operates BitGo Trust Company, a regulated custodian launched in 2018, offering qualified custody with up to $250 million in insurance coverage and serving as the sole custodian for Wrapped Bitcoin (WBTC).[1][3] The company manages over $90 billion in assets, has created more than 9.3 million wallets, and supports over 1,400 tokens across multiple blockchains, including 80 of the top 100 digital assets by market capitalization.[3][4] It caters to thousands of institutional clients, including top cryptocurrency exchanges, across more than 90 countries, positioning itself as a leader in digital asset security and liquidity provision.[1] In 2023, BitGo raised $100 million in Series C funding at a $1.75 billion valuation from strategic investors.[5] Notable milestones include achieving Cryptocurrency Security Standard (CCSS) Level 3 certification, the highest designation for crypto custody providers, and processing a significant share of global Bitcoin transactions through its infrastructure.[6] However, BitGo has faced challenges, such as a 2020 settlement with the U.S. Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) for $98,830 over 183 apparent sanctions violations stemming from its hot wallet service being accessed by users in sanctioned regions like Crimea and Syria.[7] Additionally, a planned $1.2 billion acquisition by Galaxy Digital in 2021 was terminated in 2022 after BitGo allegedly failed to deliver audited 2021 financial statements, prompting BitGo to sue Galaxy for over $100 million in damages for breach of contract; the Delaware Supreme Court ruled in 2024 that the suit could proceed.[8][9]Overview
Founding and Mission
BitGo was founded in 2013 by Mike Belshe, who serves as CEO, along with co-founders Ben Davenport and Will O'Brien.[10][11] The company emerged during the nascent stages of cryptocurrency, specifically to address the lack of secure storage solutions for Bitcoin among early adopters in Belshe's network.[12] Belshe, a veteran in software security with prior experience at Google, recognized the vulnerabilities in existing wallet technologies and pioneered the first commercially viable multi-signature wallet to enable secure holding of digital assets.[1][13] From inception, BitGo focused exclusively on institutional clients, providing secure custody and wallet services tailored for digital assets.[14] The company's early innovations emphasized multi-party computation and threshold signatures to mitigate risks associated with single points of failure in private key management.[1] BitGo's stated mission is to deliver trust in digital assets by offering institutional-grade, regulated, and scalable infrastructure.[15] This encompasses accelerating the transition of the financial system to a digital asset economy through secure custody, lending, and core infrastructure solutions.[16] The firm aims to empower users and institutions by reducing dependence on legacy intermediaries, promoting monetary freedom and transparency inherent in blockchain technology.[3][17]