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Vakeesan Mahalingam, CFA
Founder & CEO at Torram
- DeFi
- Bitcoin
- Entrepreneur
- đź“ŤToronto, Canada
Ex-institutional trader turned VC turned founder, Vakeesan blends 8 years of investment industry expertise with deep experience in startups and emerging technologies. As the CEO and co-founder of Torram, he’s leading the charge in Bitcoin-native DeFi, pioneering solutions that bridge traditional finance with the decentralized economy.
More than just an innovator, Vakeesan thrives at the intersection of strategy, execution, and disruption. His expertise in business development, partnerships, and capital raising—combined with a sharp focus on crypto assets and blockchain technology—positions him as a leading voice in the future of finance. Through Torram, he’s breaking down barriers to unlock Bitcoin’s full potential, making DeFi more accessible, scalable, and ready for institutions.
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 BOOK NOW FOR your podcast
Vakeesan Mahalingam, CFA
Founder & CEO at Torram
- đź“ŤToronto, Canada
- DeFi
- Bitcoin
- Entrepreneur
Ex-institutional trader turned VC turned founder, Vakeesan blends 8 years of investment industry expertise with deep experience in startups and emerging technologies. As the CEO and co-founder of Torram, he’s leading the charge in Bitcoin-native DeFi, pioneering solutions that bridge traditional finance with the decentralized economy.
More than just an innovator, Vakeesan thrives at the intersection of strategy, execution, and disruption. His expertise in business development, partnerships, and capital raising—combined with a sharp focus on crypto assets and blockchain technology—positions him as a leading voice in the future of finance. Through Torram, he’s breaking down barriers to unlock Bitcoin’s full potential, making DeFi more accessible, scalable, and ready for institutions.
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As seen on
“Based in Toronto, Canada’s financial and business hub, Torram Labs Inc., is spearheading decentralized finance (DeFi) innovation. This exciting new startup is launching new innovations that will connect traditional finance and data with the bitcoin blockchain, enabling the use of bitcoin as an institutional-grade settlement layer. Led by its co-founder and CEO, Vakeesan Mahalingam, CFA, Torram is building one of the critical pieces of infrastructure missing today, which will unlock the true value of Bitcoin beyond just a store of value.”Â
“Torram, a Web2.5 infrastructure company, has announced the successful closure of its $710,000 pre-seed funding round in early December 2024. The company is focused on developing institutional-grade decentralized finance (DeFi) infrastructure directly on Bitcoin, positioning itself as a key enabler of innovation in the evolving financial ecosystem.”Â
“Blockchain transforms the digital world by replacing trust with truth. It allows for transparent, peer-to-peer transactions without intermediaries—critical in an era where confidence in centralized systems is eroding. By combining the security of the Bitcoin blockchain with our Bitcoin-native decentralized toolkit – Torram is making institutional adoption of blockchain a reality.”Â
“Torram, pioneering institutional-grade decentralized finance (DeFi) infrastructure on Bitcoin, today announced a strategic investment from Draper Associates, the venture firm led by legendary crypto investor Tim Draper. Selected from over 200 applicants for the highly exclusive BitcoinFi Accelerator, Torram is now better positioned to capture the rapidly expanding institutional DeFi market as Bitcoin emerges as the leading blockchain for traditional finance.”Â
“Torram is excited to introduce one of its landmark early backers: Blockchain Founders Fund (BFF), a renowned supporter of groundbreaking blockchain ventures. This collaboration supercharges Torram’s mission to unlock Bitcoin’s full potential as the foundation for institutional-grade decentralized finance (DeFi) natively on Bitcoin.”
“Torram, an emerging player in the Bitcoin ecosystem, is poised to revolutionize institutional finance by building the foundational infrastructure for decentralized finance (DeFi) directly on Bitcoin. As financial institutions increasingly turn to blockchain solutions, Torram’s innovations look to unlock Bitcoin’s potential for adoption at an institutional scale.”
Timeline
Apr 2024 - Present
Torram
Founder & CEO
May 2024 - Oct 2024
VNTR Capital
Chapter Director – Toronto
Nov 2023 - Jun 2024
AMARI AI
(Telus CSW x AlchemistX ’24)
Founder
Jun 2022 - Mar 2024
Chimba Consulting Group
Principal Consultant – Web3
Nov 2022 - Sep 2023
Flair Ventures
Venture Partner – Web3
Aug 2022 - May 2023
Concordium
Global Head of Business Development & Partnerships
Oct 2021 - May 2022
Argo Blockchain
Head of Argo Labs
Aug 2019 - Aug 2021
YOSI Collective
Founder
Oct 2018 - Apr 2019
Kintaro Capital
Investment Committee & Board Member
Feb 2018 - Dec 2018
Cryptovest
Crypto Market Analyst & Copywriter
Dec 2012 - Nov 2018
CI Global Asset Managment
Senior Portfolio Analyst
Sep 2010 - Dec 2012
MD Integrations
Senior Service Coordinator
Ask me
| Why are we seeing this surge in Bitcoin DeFi now? |
| Where do you see Bitcoin DeFi in 5 years? |
| You've said Bitcoin DeFi will surpass ETH DeFi in less than 3 years with high conviction, could you explain why you believe this? |
| How does Torram support the growth of institutional-grade Bitcoin DeFi? |
| What is Torram building and why is it essential for Bitcoin DeFi? |
| Tell us a little bit about yourself and your experience in the crypto space. |
