Eric Chen

Eric Chen
Born	(1998-08-28) August 28, 1998 Shenzhen, China
Nationality	Chinese-American
Alma mater	New York University
Occupation	Entrepreneur Blockchain developer
Years active	2014–present
Known for	Co-founder and CEO of Injective Labs Inc.
Notable work	Injective Protocol
Website	injective.com

Eric Chen (born 1997) is a Chinese-American entrepreneur, blockchain developer, and the co-founder and CEO of Injective Labs Inc., the company behind Injective Protocol, a leading decentralized finance (DeFi) blockchain platform. He is known for pioneering innovations in the DeFi space and for launching Injective at the age of 19 after dropping out of New York University (NYU).

Early Life and Education

Eric Chen was born in 1997 and attended New York University, where he studied finance and computer science. While at NYU, he became involved in blockchain technology, contributing to open-source projects and engaging with the NYU Blockchain Labs. He began mining Bitcoin as early as 2012 and Ethereum while still in college.

Career

Early Work

Chen began his professional journey through research positions and internships. In 2014, he worked as a research fellow at Huizhou Desay SV Automotive and later joined Sino Partners Fund for risk analysis and algorithmic trading. He also contributed to Essence Fund Management as a researcher, focusing on mutual fund products.

From 2017 to 2018, Chen served as a researcher at Innovating Capital, where he focused on trading strategies and blockchain protocol research. His time there, combined with experiences at NYU Blockchain Labs, shaped his vision for decentralized financial systems.

Founding Injective

In 2018, Eric Chen co-founded Injective Protocol alongside Albert Chon, aiming to build a secure, low-latency, fully decentralized exchange infrastructure. Injective was designed to offer the user experience of centralized exchanges (CEXs) while maintaining the transparency and trustlessness of DeFi systems.

Injective Protocol is built on Cosmos SDK and is recognized as the first fully decentralized Layer-2 exchange protocol supporting spot, perpetual, and futures trading. The project has received backing from major investors including Binance Labs, Pantera Capital, Jump, and Mark Cuban.

As of 2025, Injective has processed over 2 billion on-chain transactions and supports over 1.5 million wallets, making it one of the most actively used blockchains in the world. It has attracted institutional attention, with Deutsche Telekom joining as a validator and Cboe Global Markets exploring ETF listings based on the Injective ecosystem.

Media Recognition

Chen has been featured in several business and technology publications for his role in shaping DeFi. In a 2024 Fortune interview, he shared his journey from college dorm crypto mining to leading a billion-dollar blockchain company. He emphasized Injective’s mission to create a "truly free and fair financial system" by decentralizing market access.

Personal Life

Eric Chen resides in New York City, where Injective Labs is headquartered. He is known for his fast-paced lifestyle, often working seven days a week. Despite the demanding role, he enjoys tennis, racing simulators, and tracking performance using tools like the Oura ring and Eight Sleep mattress system. He travels frequently for work, attending global conferences and events across Seoul, London, Abu Dhabi, Toronto, and Singapore.

He maintains a tech-forward, minimalist lifestyle, favoring meal-prepping, wearables, and practical fashion. A self-described lifelong learner, he often speaks on the importance of learning by doing, especially in crypto markets.

External links

• Company website
• Eric Chen on Twitter
• Eric Chen on LinkedIn