Laura K. Inamedinova didn’t start out in crypto — but she arrived early and never looked back. With a background in physics and an early fascination with science and systems thinking, Laura found herself questioning whether to pursue a conventional career in traditional finance or to bet on the chaos and promise of crypto. She chose the latter — stepping into the blockchain world during its wild ICO era, where projects often launched with little more than a website, a whitepaper, and a wallet address.
Fresh out of college, Laura began working in go-to-market strategy and communications, helping Web3 startups shape their message and scale globally. She quickly became known for her ability to turn technical innovation into compelling narratives — a skill that would later become her signature.
Her deep engagement with founders, combined with a strategic mindset, eventually led her from PR and storytelling to the other side of the table: venture capital. By the late 2010’s, Laura had established herself as one of the sharpest operator-investors in crypto, helping shape early-stage Web3 projects while advocating for a more informed and mature industry culture.
Now, as CGEO at Gate.com (formerly Gate.io) and Principal at Gate Ventures, Laura oversees global exchange strategy and leads investments into high-potential blockchain infrastructure. Her work spans from building cross-border partnerships to managing the venture arm’s portfolio — all while helping to onboard the next wave of founders and users through education and insight.
It’s this dual-track impact — both operational and cultural — that earned her a spot on Forbes’ 30 Under 30 list of blockchain visionaries. But as Laura explained on her recent appearance on The CoinRock Show, that recognition is less about titles and more about her consistent focus on long-term thinking, real value creation, and the belief that retail users can — and should — think like VCs.
A Forbes 30 Under 30 Visionary and Venture Capital Strategist
Laura’s journey to becoming one of Forbes’ 30 Under 30 blockchain visionaries wasn’t accidental — it was built on hard-won insight and relentless execution. Long before her current roles at Gate.com and Gate Ventures, she had already helped shape dozens of successful Web3 project launches. Her early hands-on experience with go-to-market strategy gave her a front-row seat to the brutal mechanics of token launches, investor psychology, and market maker dynamics.
“When you raise from investors, with all of these skills, you’re taking a loan, you’re taking a very, very expensive loan that you have to repay on the day of the launch,” she explained.
“If you’re not going to be able to manage that, that’s it. your token is going to go down, it’s going to be very, very hard to recover it.”
Laura’s deep understanding of these behind-the-scenes forces set her apart. As a former founder of a marketing agency, she didn’t just observe the Web3 space — she helped build it. And when she joined Gate, she brought this operational wisdom into one of crypto’s most complex infrastructures, helping the exchange evolve from a retail-focused trading platform into a global player with a forward-thinking venture arm.
At Gate Ventures, Laura now leads early-stage investments in projects focused on infrastructure, scalability, DeFi, and emerging verticals like PayFi and stablecoins. But unlike traditional VCs, Gate deploys its own proprietary capital — a distinction that allows Laura to invest more strategically, without the same LP pressure that drives others into risky or inflated valuations.
Her decision-making isn’t driven by hype. It’s shaped by mathematics, long-term discipline, and firsthand experience with what it actually takes for a project to sustain value beyond the day-one rally.
“There’s a lot of projects that pay even 40% for short term because of the marketing budget. I can just hop from that and get 40%. But that’s not venture capital.” she noted.
“Investors right now are shifting their investment kind of thesis to doing liquids, doing LP’s or even yield-bearing products. More than 50% of VCs now have their LP’s and have a mandate to invest.
This realism — paired with a unique blend of strategic vision and marketing fluency — is what earned her recognition on Forbes’ list. But it’s also why Laura has become a go-to voice for retail and institutional investors alike who want to understand how crypto is truly evolving.
More Than Capital — Gate as a Learning Platform
Today, at Gate Ventures, Laura reviews hundreds of pitches. But her focus isn’t hype — it’s quality.
“The VC game is going to find people coming in to yield-bearing solutions or just investing in more sustainable long-term companies,” she said.
What sets Laura apart is how she uses this vantage point to educate. She constantly bridges the knowledge gap between builders, VCs, and retail by offering tangible advice — on panels, podcasts, founder calls, and most especially; on her LinkedIn.
“I’m very active on LinkedIn,” she revealed.
“I write a lot of content there because I feel like I need to educate the founders on how to pitch. I would say, if you’re a founder and you want to learn how to pitch for a business, read my LinkedIn.”
It’s this kind of direct, actionable insight that has made her a sought-after voice in both Western and Asian markets. Her work, especially across Pakistan, Vietnam, Thailand, and the Middle East, emphasizes regulation literacy and onboarding through real-world guidance — not just glossy slogans.
Challenging Retail to Grow Up
Laura doesn’t mince words when it comes to retail investors. She’s been in crypto long enough to spot trends — and longer still to know which ones are traps.
She argues that retail can no longer afford to behave like short-term speculators while blaming institutions for getting ahead.
“Those who are maturing in the space, who understand how to interact would kind of try to buy back the audience; they’re the ones that are going to be super successful,” she noted.
Laura’s critique isn’t condescending. It’s instructive. She wants retail to learn how to vet projects, build networks, and understand market cycles — just like VCs do. That’s why she constantly shares her internal thought processes publicly: how she breaks down a pitch, how she assesses founders, and why emotional detachment is critical when allocating capital.
A Global Builder with an Educator’s Mindset
Beyond the capital and commentary, Laura is building real partnerships. Whether it’s expanding Gate.io’s presence in emerging markets or driving key investments at Gate Ventures, she sees the crypto future as borderless — but only if it’s built on education, credibility, and user empowerment.
“If there’s no black swan event, I think we’re going to see a much higher price,” she said.
“And if that higher price is going to come, not just from institutions, but retail coming in as well, we’re going to have an altcoin season.”
Laura isn’t betting on luck. She’s betting on better behavior, better research, and a better-informed community. And through every keynote, pitch review, or market deep dive, she’s quietly teaching the rest of the industry how to get there.
Where to Find Laura K. Inamedinova
