Chris Maurice (born in 1996) is a risk management expert and trained financial manager. He co-founded YellowCard Crypto Exchange, which operates across 20 African countries, and currently serves as the company’s Chief Executive Officer.
Early Life and Education
Chris grew up in Atlanta, Georgia, United States. From 2009 to 2014, he attended Jesuit High School of New Orleans, where he studied Biology, Latin, Physics, and Greek. He later attended Auburn University in Alabama from 2014 to 2017, earning a degree in Accounting and Finance. Additionally, he obtained a certificate in Market Concepts from Bloomberg.
Career
At 10, Chris Maurice started selling Pokémon cards on eBay. This early entrepreneurial experience laid the foundation for his future in business, eventually leading to the co-founding of Yellow Card Crypto Exchange.
Transitioning from sales-related roles, Chris became a Featured Writer at Coach and Player Magazine (Magzter), a New York-based cross-platform digital newsstand. He also held a similar role at Movietv Tech Geeks, a subsidiary of Indie Genius Productions.
Role at Yellow Card
While his partner, Justin Poiroux, handles the technical aspects of Yellow Card Financial, Chris is responsible for registering the exchange across multiple African countries. The company is now legally registered in 20 African nations.
In an interview with CNBC, Chris revealed that he spent close to nine months in some African countries to establish the company’s presence, handling legal and complex business registrations.
“I’ve slept more nights than I can count in the Joburg airport,” the 29-year-old CEO said.
Lessons
Unlike many crypto exchange founders who had prior experience in finance or blockchain-related projects, Chris Maurice had none. However, he co-founded Yellow Card Financial with his partner, Justin Poiroux.
Today, Yellow Card—also known as YC—is in its post-Series B stage and has raised a total of $57 million, the highest funding amount achieved by any crypto exchange on the African continent.
Apart from being one of the best platforms to get secured crypto wallets in Africa, Yellow Card has grown to become the most successful crypto exchange in Africa in terms of reach, adoption, and efficiency.