Unchained
Unchained provides bitcoin custody and financial services, including trading, loans and retirement accounts, to clients who want full control of their private keys. The 114-person company raised $109M in a Series B round in April 2023.
The growth story
Unchained grew from 84 to 114 employees between 2022 and 2026, raising $109M along the way, most recently a Series B in April 2023.
About
Unchained operates cold storage vaults for bitcoin, allowing clients to maintain control of their private keys while accessing financial services like trading, loans and retirement accounts. Its model appeals to bitcoin holders who prioritize security and self-custody.
The company has raised $109M, including a Series B in April 2023, and employs 114 people. Its alumni have founded 11 companies, including Swan Bitcoin and Chicago Bitcoin Collective, suggesting a strong entrepreneurial culture.
Founders and leadership
Engineering is Unchained's largest function with 15 employees. The company has a median tenure of 2 years, indicating moderate retention. Leadership includes investors like Anil Patel and Brian Spaly.
The Unchained org chart
Joseph Kelly (Co-founder and CEO) leads 46 mapped leaders with 5 direct reports. Click +N to expand a team; names link to the person’s public profile.
Departments, and which ones grew
Headcount by function: Engineering 19 (-14% YoY), Business Development 16 (+14% YoY), Finance 15 (-17% YoY), Sales 13 (-13% YoY), Operations 9 (0% YoY), Information Technology 7 (0% YoY).
Talent flow
Unchained hires from companies like Infochimps, Swan Bitcoin and Ledger. Alumni frequently move to bitcoin-related startups, including Cobalt, Zaprite and Zaria. The University of Texas at Austin and Texas A&M are its top feeder schools.
Most common previous employers of Unchained staff: Infochimps, a CSC Big Data Business (3), Swan Bitcoin (3), Ledger (2), ADP (2), State of Tennessee (2), Bandposters (2). Former Unchained employees most often moved to Cobalt (2), Zaprite (2), Zaria (2), Atmosphere TV (2), Swan Bitcoin (1), Onramp (1).
Alumni worth knowing
The Unchained mafia
Unchained alumni have founded 11 companies, most notably Swan Bitcoin (92 employees) and Chicago Bitcoin Collective (6 employees). Other startups include Zaria, Cobalt and ReBottle.
11Cory Klippsten, was Investor & Former AdvisorEmily Barron, was Board Observer until 2025Bryan Millstein, was Director of Product until 2023Ayvan Krishan, was Engineering Operations Manager until 2021Jose Burgos, was Director of Media Production until 2026Joshua Preston, was Senior Advisor until 2023
Benjamin Woosley, was Senior Software Engineer until 2022
Shimon Lazarov, was Chief Marketing Officer until 2024
Rob Paape, was Bitcoin Commons & Events Coordinator until 2024
Billy Tetrud, was Software Engineer until 2022Web traffic
Traffic mix: 48% direct, 26% search, 6% social, 7% paid.
What this company is made of
Most common skills at Unchained: Leadership (39), Microsoft Office (34), Microsoft Excel (29), Customer Service (29), Public Speaking (28), Management (27), Project Management (25), Social Media (24).
Where the team actually sits
Unchained people are concentrated in Texas, United States (19), United States (5), California, United States (4), New York City Metropolitan Area (4).
Search footprint
Unchained attracts about 2,141 organic search visits a month, traffic worth roughly $10K a month if bought through ads. It gained 283 ranking keywords and lost 375 in the last period.
What employees say
- Compensation
- 4.30 / 5
- Career opportunities
- 4.50 / 5
- Senior management
- 4.30 / 5
- Work-life balance
- 4.50 / 5
Frequently asked
Unchained has 114 employees as of September 2026.
Unchained has raised $109M in total, most recently a Series B round in April 2023.
Unchained was founded in 2016 by Joseph Kelly, Dhruv Bansal.
Joseph Kelly (Co-founder and CEO) sits at the top of Unchained's reporting structure, with 5 direct reports.
The most common previous employers of current Unchained staff are Infochimps, a CSC Big Data Business (3 people), Swan Bitcoin (3 people), Ledger (2 people).
Former Unchained employees most often move to Cobalt (2), Zaprite (2), Zaria (2).
At least 11 companies have a founder who previously worked at Unchained, including Swan Bitcoin, Chicago Bitcoin Collective, Zaria.
Unchained attracts about 2,141 organic search visits a month, worth roughly $10K a month in equivalent ad spend.
The most common skills among Unchained staff are Leadership, Microsoft Office, Microsoft Excel, Customer Service, Public Speaking.
Unchained staff are concentrated in Texas, United States (19), United States (5), California, United States (4).
Unchained has about 19 people in Engineering, down 14% over the past year, as of September 2026.
Unchained has about 16 people in Business Development, up 14% over the past year, as of September 2026.
Computed from 79 current and 89 former Unchained profiles, as of September 2026. Source: Crustdata.
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