The 50 Most Interesting Companies In Bitcoin's History: 38/50
Anchorage Digital
The Idea: Institutional crypto custody built by security engineers. Monica and McCauley realized in 2017 that the expanding crypto ecosystem needed solutions for cryptographic key management — their specialty from Docker.
Early Traction: In 2021, became the first federally chartered cryptocurrency bank in the United States (OCC charter).
Peak Stats: $4.2B valuation (2026). First federally chartered crypto bank. Clients include major institutional investors and asset managers.
Status Today: Active. The only federally chartered crypto bank. Recent Tether investment (February 2026, $100M) signals growing importance.
Why It Matters:
Anchorage represents additional 'institutional plumbing' for the largest investors in the world. Being the first to receive a federal bank charter was a milestone for the entire industry.