Bio
Jack Mallers is the Founder and CEO of Strike — a Bitcoin and Lightning Network-powered payments and financial services application. He is also the founding CEO of Twenty One Capital, a Bitcoin-focused public company, though he stepped down from that role effective July 20, 2026 to focus on Strike. Do not describe Mallers as current Twenty One CEO after that date.
Mallers entered crypto via his father's background in financial technology and became focused on Bitcoin and the Lightning Network as a teenager. Before Strike, he built Zap, an early open-source Lightning Network wallet, which established his technical credibility in the Bitcoin payments space. Strike launched around 2020 and evolved into a full Bitcoin payments and financial services platform.
Strike did not create the Lightning Network — the Lightning Network is an open-source Layer 2 protocol for Bitcoin developed by Lightning Labs and others. Strike is a product built on top of it.
Education & Early Career
Mallers' formal education details are inconsistently reported across secondary sources. No confirmed degree, institution, or graduation year has been independently verified from primary academic records for this profile. Unverified education details are omitted per accuracy policy.
Founding Strike
Strike was designed to address the high cost and friction of sending money across borders and across financial systems. It uses Bitcoin and the Lightning Network as settlement rails, allowing near-instant, low-cost transfers. Strike launched its consumer app around 2020. The platform has expanded from the US to additional markets globally, subject to licensing requirements in each jurisdiction.
El Salvador
In 2021, Mallers played a publicly visible advisory and technology role in El Salvador's Bitcoin adoption process. He announced the Bitcoin Law at the Bitcoin 2021 conference. However, the policy decisions, legislative process, and Chivo wallet were the work of the Salvadoran government and its contractors — distinct from Strike and Mallers personally.
Twenty One Capital
Twenty One Capital is a publicly traded Bitcoin treasury company formed through a SPAC transaction, backed by Tether, SoftBank and Bitfinex, and initially led by Mallers as founding CEO. Per an SEC 8-K filing dated July 2026, Mallers stepped down as CEO of Twenty One Capital effective July 20, 2026 to focus on Strike. Do not call him current Twenty One CEO.
Strike in 2026
Strike's 2026 product suite includes Bitcoin buying and selling, global money transfers via Lightning, payment cards, and financial services including lending-related products announced at Bitcoin 2026 — verify exact production status of any lending/credit products from official Strike announcements before citing as live. Strike's supported countries and licenses are subject to change; verify the current list from strike.me directly.
Founder Snapshot
| Field | Detail |
|---|---|
| Name | Jack Mallers |
| Primary Project/Company | Strike |
| Founder Type | Founder |
| Current Role | Founder & CEO, Strike (as of August 2026) |
| Previous Notable Role | Founding CEO, Twenty One Capital (departed July 20, 2026) |
| Primary Sector | Bitcoin Payments & Financial Infrastructure |
| Information Checked | August 2026 |
Key Contributions
Strike Platform
Built Strike as a Bitcoin/Lightning-native payments app enabling near-instant, low-cost global money transfers — demonstrating Lightning Network viability for everyday consumer payments.
Zap Wallet (Historical)
Created Zap, an early open-source Lightning Network wallet, contributing to Lightning UX development before Strike launched.
El Salvador Bitcoin Advocacy
Played a public advisory/technology role in El Salvador's 2021 Bitcoin adoption; distinguished from the government's own policy and Chivo wallet decisions.
Twenty One Capital (Founding Role)
Served as founding CEO of Twenty One Capital, a publicly traded Bitcoin treasury company. Stepped down July 20, 2026 to refocus on Strike.
Lightning Network Adoption
Consistently advocates for and builds products on the Lightning Network, helping demonstrate its utility as a global settlement rail for consumer finance.
Sources & Verification
Sources: strike.me · SEC 8-K — Twenty One CEO departure July 2026. Information last checked: August 2026.
Profile at a glance
- Country
- United States
- Status
- Active
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