FinTech Female Fridays: Meet Violet Abtahi, Founder & CEO of Platonic

In the world of finance, few journeys are as intentional and impactful as Violet’s. She began her career in structured finance, learning the intricacies of capital markets and how power flows through financial systems. But it didn’t take long for her to see what many overlook: these systems weren’t designed for everyone, especially not for those outside the walls of privilege.

This realization sparked a pivot, not just in industry, but in purpose. Violet stepped into the world of blockchain and emerging technologies, not to chase innovation for its own sake, but to reimagine the very foundations of finance. Her mission was and remains clear: to build tools that unlock global equity, empower individuals, and enable humanity to move beyond survival into thriving.

Her entrepreneurial path has been anything but conventional. From ventures like Aysanco, BleySky, SynxSpace, Enya Labs, and Boba Network, each chapter has built toward something greater. That “something” took shape with the founding of Platonic, a company devoted to building the financial operating system of the future.

At Platonic, Violet and her team are creating what they call aOSTM, a programmable, privacy-first, intelligent financial infrastructure that moves capital as seamlessly as data. By bridging legacy systems with decentralized intelligence, they’re designing a financial ecosystem meant to serve all, not just the few. What sets Platonic apart isn’t just its bold vision, but its commitment to building from first principles: secure channels, smart collateral, and dynamic asset logic, designed to meet the needs of both institutions and the unbanked. It’s not just about solving problems, it’s about creating new possibilities.

For Violet, fintech is more than technology. It’s a pathway to systemic transformation. Her work is helping shape a future where finance is autonomous, intelligent, and inclusive. One where borders dissolve, capital flows without friction, and people, regardless of geography, can access what they need to meet their potential. Because when people are free from survival, they are free to create, to love, and to thrive.

Violet leads from what she calls “the edge,” where visionary thinking meets rigorous execution. She constantly challenges herself to ask deeper questions: What are we really solving for? Who are we leaving out if we don’t go further? Her leadership is grounded in systems thinking, but it’s also deeply human. She believes leadership is not about control but about coherence, courage, and conviction. And she lives that belief not only in how she builds, but in how she mentors and uplifts other women in fintech, encouraging them to trust their instincts and design systems worthy of the future.

What excites her most about the future of finance isn’t just the tech but the shift in philosophy. We’re entering a new epoch, she says, where real-world assets are tokenized, privacy is native, and automation is intelligent. Finance is evolving from a gatekeeping force into a global enabler. This convergence of AI, blockchain, and programmable money isn’t just modernizing markets. It’s unlocking the conditions for human flourishing on a global scale.

One of the most powerful pieces of advice Violet carries with her is to live a life aligned with your values. She likens it to a mycelium network, interconnected, purpose-driven, alive. When one of us rises with integrity, we lift others with us. “You are not here to play small,” she says. “You are here to evolve systems. Be an agent of change, rooted in love, fueled by brilliance, and aligned with purpose.”

Perhaps the most defining choice in Violet’s journey was saying yes to entrepreneurship. It wasn’t just a professional decision, but it was a calling. Founding Platonic marked the moment she chose to stop working within broken systems and instead build something radically better. To create infrastructure not for profit alone, but for people and their basic needs, dignity, and potential.

Violet’s story is a reminder that we are not just participants in systems. Rather, we are the architects of them. Through bold vision, deep integrity, and a belief in what’s possible, we can build a financial future that allows life, not just capital, to thrive.

More about Violet 

Where you live: San Francisco Bay Area

Family at home: Family and dogs anchored in love and trust 

Favorite hobby: Nature walks, breathwork, meditation, playing music, and philosophical deep dives

Day in the Life

5:00 am: Wake, meditation, intentional stillness

6:00 am: Yoga, walk, breathwork

7:00 am: Deep solo work, vision, writing, creative strategy

9:00 am: Team syncs, async reviews

11:00 am: External calls—partners, investors, collaborators

1:00 pm: Nourish, rest, re-center

2:00 pm: Product architecture, customer flows, ecosystem design

4:00 pm: Learning, thought leadership—podcasts, panels, content

6:00 pm: Close the loop, review priorities

7:00 pm: Dinner, connection, creative time

9:00 pm: Unplug, reflect, rest with intention

A time someone encouraged you to try something you didn’t think you’d be good at:

Early in my journey, someone I admired asked me to take the lead on a multi-stakeholder protocol design. I didn’t think I had the depth yet. But they told me, “You’re not being asked because you have all the answers, you’re being asked because you see the system.” That moment shifted my perspective. A solution is a problem well-understood. If you stay long enough with any equation in life, you will find the answers. Trust yourself and the voice that doesn’t use words. 

Most important lesson from a mistake:

One of my biggest lessons was trusting speed over alignment. In the past, I partnered with people who didn’t share my values, just to move faster. It always cost more than was given. Now I know: integrity is non-negotiable. Vision must be matched with aligned action or the system becomes fragile. The strongest systems, like the healthiest ecosystems, are built on resonance and the right relationships.

Productivity hacks, motivation, and balance:

My greatest productivity tool is inner stillness. I start my day in silence, meditation, movement, presence. From that place, I can discern what truly matters and move with clarity. My motivation comes from knowing that this work is part of something much larger than myself. Balance, for me, isn’t about managing hours, it’s about managing energy, intention, and alignment. When I’m in sync with my purpose, work and life become one rhythm.