Jed McCaleb is an American programmer, entrepreneur, and billionaire co-founder of Mt. Gox (former Bitcoin exchange), Ripple, and Stellar, three of the most foundational companies in the cryptocurrency and blockchain industry. Born in Fayetteville, Arkansas, in 1975, his career is rooted in software and peer-to-peer (P2P) technology.

McCaleb attended the University of California, Berkeley, but left without completing his degree, prioritizing hands-on projects over formal education. His first venture was founding MetaMachine Inc. in 2000, which released the eDonkey2000 P2P file-sharing application (similar to Napster). His philosophical focus is on decentralization, cryptography, and developing systems that support blockchain architecture.

• Stellar (Co-founder & CTO): The core current asset, a decentralized protocol for global exchange of digital assets and fiat currencies (known for its cryptocurrency, XLM).
• Ripple (Founder & Former CTO): The blockchain company he founded (leaving in 2013).
• Mt. Gox (Founder): The pioneering Bitcoin exchange he created in 2010.
• P2P Pioneer: He founded the eDonkey2000 P2P file-sharing application.

Jed McCaleb's strategic genius was his early commitment to decentralized technology. He purchased the domain Mtgox.com in 2007 (initially for Magic: The Gathering cards) and repurposed it in 2010 as a Bitcoin exchange—a pivotal moment in crypto history. In 2011, he began developing Ripple (digital currency verified by consensus, differing from Bitcoin's mining technique).

After leaving Ripple in 2013, he founded the Stellar Development Foundation (with Joyce Kim) in 2014, focusing on cross-border monetary transactions and financial inclusion (using the Stellar protocol/XLM). His wealth is secured by his massive holdings in XRP (Ripple) and XLM (Stellar), making him one of the wealthiest individuals in the cryptocurrency sector and a foundational figure in its architecture.

Jed McCaleb's social impact is structural, stemming from Stellar's role in providing a platform for global financial inclusion and cross-border monetary transactions at low cost, benefiting underserved populations. His work is foundational to the development of blockchain architecture and decentralized finance (DeFi).

His personal philanthropy, through the Stellar Development Foundation, supports various community and educational initiatives. His career is a testament to the profitability of disciplined software engineering and unwavering belief in the future of decentralized digital assets.

Jed McCaleb maintains the casual, intellectual style of a programmer and tech founder. His attire is consistently pragmatic and unostentatious, reflecting his focus on code and technology. His aesthetic is one of deliberate simplicity.

Residing in San Francisco, California, his luxury is the immense security and financial reward derived from his multi-billion dollar fortune. His life is dedicated to blockchain innovation, cryptographic systems, and the decentralization of financial services.