Asheesh Birla

A longtime crypto veteran with an MBA from Wharton, Birla has been instrumental in building Ripple's blockchain tools for banks around the world. He’s also developing experimental uses for XRP, the world’s third most valuable digital currency. At Fortune's Brainstorm Tech conference in Aspen this year, Birla made the case that blockchains will greatly expand financial inclusion by serving the underbanked in emerging markets.