Alena Afanaseva
CEO and Founder BeInCrypto
Alena, your career journey has taken you from traditional finance into founding BeInCrypto. What first drew you into the crypto space, and what convinced you this was where you wanted to build?
I started in traditional finance quite young, first as an analyst, then focusing on fundamental analysis. Later, I led the first Russian-language financial newswire for traders. At that time, we were literally inventing financial terminology in Russian because it didn’t exist. I then became managing editor of a financial magazine, tasked with taking it from print to digital. The project ultimately failed and shut down after two years, but the experience gave me a strong grounding in financial analysis, media operations, and product development.
My first real encounter with Bitcoin was in 2013. I tried applying the same macro and fundamental tools I used in traditional markets—and they didn’t work. Instead of walking away, I got curious. I read white papers, attended conferences, and realized this wasn’t just another asset class; it was a whole new system.
The ICO wave that followed gave me a crash course in crypto. I saw both visionary and questionable projects, yet the media treated them all the same—no real journalism, no accountability, only pay-to-play coverage.
That’s when it clicked: the industry needed professional, unbiased reporting. And that’s how BeInCrypto was born. Today, BeInCrypto is a top-three crypto outlet, reaching 7-11 million monthly views across 26 languages, and we launched a full site redesign ahead of our 7th anniversary.
Thanks for laying out that path! So, looking back at 2018, when you launched BeInCrypto, what was it like stepping into crypto as a woman founder at that time?
In 2018, crypto was still very much a “boys’ club.” Most rooms I entered were almost entirely male, and the attitude toward women often felt patronizing. There weren’t many role models to look up to, so I had to carve my own path and prove credibility through results rather than perception.
But since then, I’ve seen how things have changed. More women are entering the space not just as marketers or community managers, but as founders, builders, and executives. The industry still has a long way to go, but I do see the culture progressing. Today, when I speak on panels or attend events, I see more balance, more openness, and more acknowledgment that diversity is a strength.
The industry clearly has come a long way since those early days, and today, BeInCrypto is known for its unique culture, with women holding about 73% of leadership roles. How did that happen, and what can other companies learn from your experience?
To be honest, it wasn’t about quotas or chasing diversity targets—it happened naturally because of the kind of people we were looking for. From the very beginning, I brought in people based on curiosity, resilience, and a genuine desire to build something meaningful, not just a polished CV. As it turned out, many of the most committed and qualified candidates were women.
The lesson for other companies is this: don’t treat diversity as a metric to hit. Treat it as the natural outcome of hiring the right people for the right reasons. If you strip out bias and focus on experience, perspective, and alignment with your mission, diversity will follow.
It’s inspiring to see how women lead at BeInCrypto! As one of the few visible female founders in crypto media, do you feel a responsibility to represent women, and how do you balance that with simply being a CEO?
Yes, I do feel that responsibility, even though I didn’t ask for it at first. Representation matters. When women see another woman in leadership, it signals that it’s possible. I often hear from younger women who tell me my journey encouraged them to stay in the industry or go after senior roles. That keeps me going.
At the same time, I don’t want to be put in a box as just a “female CEO.” I’m a CEO—full stop. My gender is part of who I am, but it’s not what defines me in business. It’s my results, decisions, and vision that ultimately shape me as a leader.
So I try to hold both truths. I want to represent, but not let that representation overshadow performance.
You mentioned how performance eventually speaks for itself. Do you think credibility toward women in finance and crypto shifts as they move into more senior roles?
Absolutely. Early in your career, you’re far more likely to face doubt. People question whether you belong, whether you can handle the pressure. But once you’ve built a track record, delivered results, and shown resilience, perceptions start to change. Seniority and experience earn respect, even in industries that remain male-dominated.
That said, I don’t think women should have to “over-prove” themselves compared to men. But I do believe resilience and credibility do become your armor. For me, the real turning point came when people stopped seeing me as a “young woman in finance” and started seeing me simply as someone who could build, lead, and deliver.
Indeed, credibility shouldn’t require “over-proving,” and the media plays a big role in shaping perceptions. What role do you think it should play in amplifying diverse voices, and what steps has BeInCrypto taken in this direction?
The media has a huge responsibility. We decide whose voices get heard and which perspectives define the industry. If we keep spotlighting the same leaders, nothing changes.
At BeInCrypto, we’ve made a conscious effort to feature a wider range of voices—women, new generations of thinkers, and leaders from regions often overlooked. That’s why we created the global BeInCrypto 100 Awards, with categories designed to highlight people outside the usual circles. We also launched initiatives like SheVerified, which amplifies women’s visibility in Web3, and a collaboration with Wirex Rising Women in Crypto to encourage female participation in fintech and crypto.
It’s clear that change doesn’t happen on its own. The media has to actively create platforms that make underrepresented voices impossible to ignore. That’s the role we’ve tried to take on at BeInCrypto.
That's a real contribution to making the industry more inclusive. Looking forward, what would you like the path to look like for women starting out in finance and Web3?
My biggest hope is that they won’t have to spend so much energy proving they belong. Instead, they’ll be free to focus on building, innovating, and leading without carrying the extra weight of bias.
I also hope they choose paths that truly excite them. We spend more than half our waking life at work—so why choose to suffer? I want women to feel empowered to pick roles and companies where they can thrive, create, and even disrupt.
And most of all, I hope they find confidence early. To believe in themselves even before others do. That self-belief often becomes the spark that convinces others to believe in you, too.
