Cory Klippsten

Founder & CEO, Swan Bitcoin, Swan Bitcoin

Bio

Cory Klippsten is a Bitcoin entrepreneur, investor, and executive best known as the co-founder and CEO of Swan Bitcoin, a Bitcoin-focused financial services company built around Bitcoin purchasing, recurring accumulation, custody, retirement accounts, and education. Unlike broad multi-asset cryptocurrency exchanges, Swan has historically concentrated its products and services on Bitcoin alone, aiming to make long-term Bitcoin saving and ownership easier for individuals, businesses, and institutions. Before founding Swan in 2019, Klippsten's career spanned technology, strategy consulting, and startup investing, including roles at Google, McKinsey, and the consumer technology company Fuisz. He has since become a prominent public advocate of a Bitcoin-only investment and product philosophy, frequently appearing in financial media and sharing commentary on Bitcoin monetary properties, self-custody, and the broader digital asset landscape.

Profile at a glance

Country: USA
Status: Active

Work & Project Background

Swan Bitcoin (co-founded 2019)
Co-founder
GiveBitcoin.io
Co-founder
Bitcoiner Jobs
Co-founder

Key Contributions

Swan Bitcoin

Co-founded a Bitcoin-focused financial services company built around Bitcoin purchasing, savings, custody, and education for individuals and institutions.

Recurring Bitcoin Purchases

Helped popularize a product model centered on automated, recurring Bitcoin accumulation rather than active trading.

Bitcoin Education

Built educational content, guides, and commentary around Bitcoin ownership, self-custody, and long-term saving through Swan and his Substack.

Bitcoin-Only Financial Services

Developed a business strategy centered exclusively on Bitcoin rather than a broad catalogue of crypto assets, differentiating Swan from multi-asset exchanges.

Bitcoin Advocacy

Has become a prominent public advocate for Bitcoin-focused investment and financial infrastructure, frequently appearing in financial media and sharing commentary on Bitcoin's monetary properties.

Bitcoiner Ventures

Serves as a partner at Bitcoiner Ventures and related Bitcoin-focused investment vehicles, supporting early-stage Bitcoin companies and founders.

Timeline

Early Education

University of Missouri-Columbia — Broadcast Journalism degree, with studies in new media and business management.

Graduate Education

University of Chicago Booth School of Business — MBA with concentrations in Finance, Entrepreneurship, and International Business.

Pre-2011

Early career in finance and consulting, including experience at Morgan Stanley and Microsoft, followed by strategy consulting at McKinsey.

2011–2013

Google — Strategy & Operations, Large Client Sales, working on commercial strategy and operations for Google's large advertiser accounts.

2013–2015

Fuisz — Chief Revenue Officer at the consumer technology startup, responsible for revenue growth and business development.

2015–2019

Startup investing and advisory activity, including angel investments in early-stage technology companies and an investment in Unchained Capital's 2018 seed round.

2019

Co-founded Swan Bitcoin with Yan Pritzker (CTO); Brady Swenson joined as the third co-founder in early 2020. The company launched as a Bitcoin-only financial services platform focused on recurring Bitcoin purchases.

January 2021

Joined the Advisory Board of Riot Blockchain (later renamed Riot Platforms), a publicly listed Bitcoin mining company.

2022

Swan established 2040 Energy, a managed Bitcoin mining joint venture, with Tether providing funding and Swan managing operations.

January 2024

Swan launched its managed mining unit publicly, reporting 160 MW / 4.5 EH/s of computing power and over $100 million in institutional funding, with stated plans to go public within 12 months.

July 2024

Klippsten announced Swan would discontinue its managed mining business, pull its near-term IPO plans, and reduce staff across several functions. He was later removed from his position at 2040 Energy in August 2024.

2024–2026

Swan became involved in litigation with former employees who formed Proton Management, and with Tether over the mining joint venture. A federal judge dismissed Swan's lawsuit against Proton in June 2026.

November 2025

Swan launched end-to-end Bitcoin wealth services in New York, becoming the first Bitcoin-only firm to offer buys, custody, and unlimited withdrawals to New York residents.

August 2026

Continues as Founder & CEO of Swan Bitcoin, leading Bitcoin-only financial services, custody, retirement products, and education initiatives from the company's U.S. operations.