Theta Labs is proud to announce the newest member of our Blockchain Advisory Council: Sebastian Serrano, co-founder and CEO of Ripio Credit, a blockchain fintech company based in Argentina with more than 100,000 active users.

Sebastian founded Ripio (originally known as BitPagos) in 2013, establishing one of the first bitcoin exchange companies in Latin America and allowing retail purchasers to buy bitcoin in more than 8,000 stores throughout Argentina. Ripio has since added bitcoin lending services and expanded into Brazil and Mexico, with more Latin American markets in the works. With the backing of Draper Associates, Pantera Capital, and Fenbushi Capital among many others, Ripio is well-positioned to accomplish its goals.

Their recent new venture to support this mission is the Ripio Credit Network (RCN), a new token and network using smart contracts to connect borrowers, lenders, and co-signing agents. The RCN is able to reduce management fees and lending costs by introducing co-signing agents to neutralize credit risk, and opens up lending possibilities by connecting lenders and borrowers across borders and in any local currencies.

Theta Labs’ Mitch Liu (CEO) and Riz Virk (Head of Corporate Development) have long supported Ripio’s mission for financial inclusion through digital payments, having been seed investors in BitPagos back in 2014. Now, as Theta aims to level the playing field for video streaming, Sebastian is a natural fit to join the Blockchain Advisory Council.

“Theta’s mission to improve the streaming video experience in developing countries resonates well with Ripio’s, as we strive to do the same for financial payments and access to credit. Together, we’ll be part of the global push to use blockchain to benefit all people around the world. - Sebastian Serrano

Sebastian has some great insights to share with the Theta team about how to best serve the Latin American markets. For example, Brazilian users represented 17.1% of the 4,040,000 total site visits to SLIVER.tv in January, or about 691,000 site visits. After Ripio’s successful expansion into Brazil, we can’t wait to collaborate on serving these markets with Theta and SLIVER.tv!

Welcome to the Blockchain Advisory Council, Sebastian!

The Theta Team