Caitlin Long: Avanti Mission, Net Worth & Crypto Vision
Caitlin Long is a key figure in the cryptocurrency space because she is the founder and CEO of Custodia Bank (formerly Avanti), which works to connect digital assets with traditional banks in Wyoming. With 22 years on Wall Street, Long has used her background to push for Bitcoin, support blockchain, and fight for regulatory certainty since 2012. She is called the “Crypto Queen of Wyoming” because she helped pass blockchain-friendly rules in the state and formed Custodia. It is estimated that her net worth, as May 2025, is $10–$100 million due to her ownership shares in Custodia and her involvement in crypto markets. This article looks at Long’s Avanti mission, her crypto wealth, and her views on digital assets, using recent events and her interviews.
Avanti Mission and Custodia Bank
Avanti Financial Group was established by Long in 2020 and later renamed Custodia Bank to close a significant need in the market. Connecting cryptocurrency with the U.S. dollar payment infrastructure in a way that follows regulations. Custodia, the second crypto bank countrywide to be chartered in Wyoming after Kraken, is an SPDI that handles digital asset custody, payments, and asset management. Custodia differs from regular banks by keeping clients in control of their cryptocurrency ownership, a factor Long talked about in a 2021 Unchained episode. AvitTM, the bank’s tokenized dollar, was launched in May 2025 and made cross-border payments possible on a democratic blockchain, as announced on X by @CaitlinLong.
Custodia aims to solve the ‘debanking’ of crypto firms, a situation Long observed in 2017 after banks cut off relations in response to pressure from regulators. Long’s 2020 Real Vision interview featured Custodia as a “bridge” between crypto and traditional finance, with help from the state of Wyoming’s blockchain-friendly legislation, which she helped create. During 2021, Custodia managed to raise $37 million from investors including Coinbase Ventures and Morgan Creek Digital, with a total of $44 million raised, according to CoinDesk, per CoinDesk. These investments helped Custodia build up regulatory funds and its engineering team, guided by CTO Bryan Bishop, who previously worked at LedgerX.
Custodia uses APIs to handle both wire transfers and SWIFT payments, and provides tokenized dollars backed by the U.S. dollar. Custodia and Vantage Bank processed a cross-border transaction for a logistics firm in Mexico in 2025, showing the service is useful in practice. According to a 2021 Nasdaq report, Long hopes to attract institutional customers by letting Custodia offer security for digital asset storage to exchanges, traders, and non-crypto companies. Long has not given up even after the Federal Reserve turned down her application for membership in 2023, fighting restrictions on cryptocurrency banking.
Net Worth and Wealth Sources
Due to the lack of public disclosures and crypto’s volatility, it’s hard to say how much Long is worth. Some, including CryptoGamepad, say her wealth reached $100 million this year, and CoinGape and iWealthyFox say it was $10–$10.5 million thanks to her Custodia stake and early crypto investments from 2022 to 2024. An estimate of $10-$100 million for 2025 represents Custodia’s $500 million evaluation and Bitcoin she bought between 2013 for $100-$1,000 per coin. At about $104,000 per bitcoin, 50 to 200 coins would give her $5.2 to $20.8 million.
Another source of Long’s wealth is her previous job as a managing director at Salomon Brothers, Credit Suisse, and Morgan Stanley on Wall Street, up to 2016. She made money by working on MetLife and Prudential’s IPOs and investing early in Symbiont and Kraken. Custodia’s biggest source of profit for her is from its success in 2021 funding and 2025 payment developments. According to CryptoOfficiel, Long makes $100,000–$500,000 a year from giving speeches at events, including her 2024 FinTech Person of the Year award at ETHDenver, and by working as an advisor. Unlike people like Tim Draper, Long has used her money to build infrastructure rather than speculate in crypto.
| Asset |
Holding |
Estimated Value (USD) |
| Bitcoin |
50–200 BTC (speculated) |
$5.2M–$20.8M |
| Custodia Bank Stake |
Founder’s equity |
$50M–$80M (est.) |
| Crypto Investments |
Symbiont, Kraken, others |
$2M–$5M (est.) |
| Speaking Fees |
Annual engagements |
$100K–$500K (annual) |
| Wall Street Earnings |
Career total |
$5M–$10M (est.) |
Crypto Portfolio and Vision
Bitcoin makes up most of Long’s crypto portfolio, a result of her Austrian economics views on stable money expressed in that 2020 Medium post. She may own Ethereum because of her SingularDTV activities, and sealed deals with Kraken and Symbiont, as reported by CryptoOfficiel. Her 2014 Mt. Gox hack story, as mentioned by Forbes, made her value safe storage and drive her to pick regulated platforms like Custodia. Unlike those who buy meme coins to make fast gains, Long’s investment focus is on crypto assets that offer real value, as reflected in her 2025 X posts alerting to fraud.
Regulatory clarity and personal financial freedom are major aspects of her crypto vision. She said on Real Vision in 2021 that crypto would reach a ‘first inning’ of mainstream adoption, and this turned out to be true with the 2025 arrival of institutional capital. According to a 2024 Forbes article, Long sees Bitcoin as a possible global reserve asset, possibly used by nations after El Salvador. In 2023, she wrote for Forbes, criticizing old payments for their slowness and risk and praised blockchain for providing instant settlement. She cautions about the dangers of combining crypto and legacy money, proposing that all systems should be easy to see, per a 2020 Forbes write-up.
Because of Long’s efforts in Wyoming, the state now has 20 blockchain laws, attracting crypto businesses and recognizing DAOs as well as custodial institutions. In a 2025 CoinDesk interview, she proposed that federal laws should be as clear as Wyoming’s rules, pointing to changes after the 2024 election. She says Bitcoin might go up to $500,000 by 2030 because of scarcity and wide adoption, but she warns about the dangers of excessive trading, recalling the 2022 market crash.
Influence and Controversies
Her reach is clear, with 160,000 followers on X and guest spots on Real Vision as well as CoinDesk. The 2021 Forbes “50 Over 50” award and her 2016 MarketsMedia Blockchain Award show her impact. Sharing posts like @Blockwork’s 2021 tweet about Custodia’s fundraiser (for $37 million) helps her reach grow. She co-founded the Wyoming Blockchain Coalition and leads WyoHackathon, which help grow innovation and nurture projects such as Chaincode Labs.
Long took the Federal Reserve to court over Custodia’s 2023 rejection after claiming the decision was biased against crypto, according to a Forbes article that year. People on X, like @CryptoSkeptic, have expressed doubts about Custodia’s valuation because its revenue is not confirmed. In 2024, Long defended Bitcoin’s sovereignty on X, causing debate, with supporters admiring her view and regulators expressing concern. Long’s criticism of naked shorting in IPOs, according to a 2020 Forbes report, lost her support from traditional financiers but increased her credibility in crypto circles.
FAQs
Q1: How much money does Caitlin Long have in 2025?
Experts say her net worth is between $10 million and $100 million, thanks to Custodia, Bitcoin, and earnings on Wall Street.
Q2: How much Bitcoin does Long posses?
She probably has 50–200 BTC valued at $5.2–$20.8 million, bought in 2013.
Q3: What is Custodia Bank’s mission?
Custodia combines crypto and fiat by providing legal custody and payment solutions to its customers.
Q4: What crypto does Long hold?
Her crypto portfolio is mostly Bitcoin, and she also holds some Ethereum and has invested in Kraken and Symbiont.
Q5: Why is Long influential?
Her passage of Wyoming laws, the work she does at Custodia, and her support for transparent regulation are shaping what is to come in crypto.
Final Thoughts
The work done at Avanti, now Custodia Bank under Long’s leadership, has changed crypto banking by connecting digital currencies with traditional banking. The value of Custodia and her Bitcoin holdings has given Long a net worth of $10–$100 million. Her influence comes from her desire to clear regulations and recognize Bitcoin’s independence, which is seen both in the Wyoming blockchain laws and expectations of Bitcoin’s future. She has kept pushing for change through regulations, ensuring a clear and decentralized financial system grows and cements her as a crypto pioneer.
