Robbie Klages is the co-founder of The Rollup, a media and venture firm he established in 2020 with Andy C. An active participant in the digital asset space since 2016, Klages is also a prolific seed-stage investor and a frequent speaker at global industry conferences. ^{[1] [2]}​

Education

Klages attended the University of Florida from 2017 to 2021. He graduated with two bachelor's degrees, one in Mathematics and another in Philosophy. ^{[1] [2] [3]}

Career

Klages's career has been primarily focused on the financial technology and digital assets sectors, culminating in the founding of his own company and a significant presence as an investor and consultant. His initial introduction to the industry occurred in 2016 when he discovered Bitcoin through online poker. ^[1]​

Early Career

Before co-founding The Rollup, Klages held roles that built his experience in the digital asset space. In 2019, he worked in crypto strategy at the financial services company TradeStation. The following year, in 2020, he served as a digital assets coach for YouCanTrade, an online trading education platform. ^[3]​

The Rollup

In 2020, Klages co-founded the company originally known as DeFi Slate, which later rebranded to The Rollup. Alongside co-founder Andy C, he established the organization as a media and venture firm within the cryptocurrency space. As a co-founder, Klages has been instrumental in the company's business development, and he is credited with securing dozens of partnerships with global brands in both the digital asset and fintech industries. The venture arm of the organization is known as The Rollup Ventures. ^{[1] [2]}​

Investing and Consulting

Klages is a prolific angel investor, having made over 75 investments in seed-stage crypto startups. In addition to his role at The Rollup, he actively works as a consultant for early-stage blockchain companies. This consulting work involves extensive networking within the industry, where he reportedly engages in hundreds of discussions with founders, developers, and investors in the financial technology sector. ^[1]​

Public Engagement and Expertise

Klages is an active participant in the broader cryptocurrency community through public speaking and conference engagement. He has attended more than 25 crypto-related conferences globally. He has also been featured as a speaker and panel moderator at several major industry events. ^[1]​

His speaking and moderation roles include appearances at:

• Digital Asset Summit
• DC Blockchain Summit
• SmartCon
• EthCC (Ethereum Community Conference)
• ETHDenver

These engagements reflect his active role in industry discourse. ^[1]​

Areas of Interest

Klages's professional work and public commentary indicate a deep interest in several key areas within the blockchain and cryptocurrency ecosystem. These areas include trading strategies, decentralized finance (DeFi), institutional adoption, and core blockchain infrastructure. ^[2]​

His specific interests include:

• Trading and Investment: Basis trading strategies, particularly within the Solana ecosystem.
• Decentralized Finance (DeFi): The evolution of stablecoins on the Ethereum network, the emergence of Bitcoin-native DeFi protocols, and frameworks for regulated DeFi markets.
• Institutional Adoption: The mechanics and expansion of institutional staking of digital assets and the analysis of institutional capital flows into the crypto space.
• Blockchain Infrastructure: The development of Layer 1 and Layer 2 scaling solutions, including technologies associated with NEAR Protocol, Polygon, and Ethereum.

This range of interests highlights his focus on both the financial and technical aspects of the digital asset industry. ^[2]​