From Fast Food to Fintech
Fifteen years have transformed Johann Kerbrat from flipping burgers at a McDonald’s in Cannes to heading Robinhood’s ambitious foray into the global cryptocurrency landscape. In a cramped apartment along the French Riviera, the 21-year-old Kerbrat balanced his daytime job with a self-taught coding education at night.
“My coding space was probably smaller than your bathroom,”
Kerbrat mused, recalling the humble beginnings that would spark his fintech journey.
Innovative Solutions for Small Businesses
Kerbrat’s life took a pivotal turn after departing McDonald’s to launch a no-code payments platform designed for small businesses, enabling merchants to create e-commerce sites without technical expertise. This innovative approach came at a time when the online retail sector was rapidly expanding, allowing countless small vendors to establish an online presence instead of being priced out by hefty agency fees.
Awakening to the Vulnerabilities of Banking
The difficulties faced by his classmates during the eurozone crisis, particularly one whose family account was frozen, opened Kerbrat’s eyes to the vulnerabilities of conventional banking. In this environment, he was also receiving consistent feedback from merchants on his platform about exorbitant transaction fees and the complexities of the refund process. These insights, coupled with his discovery of the Bitcoin white paper in 2010, ignited his passion for blockchain technology. Kerbrat viewed cryptocurrency as a transformative force rather than a mere investment opportunity, opting instead to construct mining equipment and design a payment interface based on Bitcoin.
Career Progression and Leadership at Robinhood
Before aligning with Robinhood in 2021, Kerbrat built his career at notable tech companies like Airbnb and Uber, eventually focusing on cutting-edge privacy technologies as the VP of Engineering at Iron Fish. His extensive experience in the cryptocurrency sector shaped his understanding of the industry’s shortcomings, particularly regarding user experience. Upon joining Robinhood as Chief Technology Officer, he later ascended to Senior Vice President and General Manager in 2023, marking over a decade since he first explored the potential of Bitcoin.
Innovations and Future Plans
Under Kerbrat’s guidance, Robinhood Crypto has unveiled significant product innovations, including the 2022 launch of the Robinhood Wallet—a user-friendly, non-custodial solution reminiscent of MetaMask—designed specifically for newcomers to cryptocurrency. By 2023, Robinhood shifted its model from a trading interface to a comprehensive crypto infrastructure, allowing Bitcoin transfers and on-chain asset withdrawals. Looking ahead to 2024, Kerbrat played a crucial role in acquiring Bitstamp, a European crypto trading platform. This acquisition provides a strategic advantage with over 50 local licenses as Robinhood aims to bolster its presence in Europe amidst a tightening regulatory landscape.
Reflecting on the Journey
Now, in an opulent Belle Époque mansion in Cannes, Kerbrat is orchestrating Robinhood’s most groundbreaking suite of crypto offerings. He recently announced the expansion of tokenized U.S. stocks and ETFs in Europe and plans for new features, including crypto staking services and perpetual futures for European traders. The announcement coincides with Robinhood’s recent regulatory approvals and the Ethereum Community Conference, highlighting the company’s intent to bridge traditional finance with blockchain technology.
Reflecting on his unexpected journey, Kerbrat noted the surreal nature of returning to the region where he once worked odd jobs.
“As a child, I used to walk past the Carlton Hotel, never thinking I would be in this position today,”
he shared. His story underscores the significant strides he has taken, as well as the unwavering challenges he observed in the financial sector surrounding him in his youth—and his goal is to make complex systems like cryptocurrency as accessible and frictionless as everyday water supply.
“When we talk about mass adoption,”
Kerbrat remarked,
“this is what it looks like—products that people can use without needing to understand the underlying technology.”
His journey, from that old Apple computer in his childhood home to the cutting edge of crypto innovation, is indeed one of resilience and vision, affirming that dreams, no matter how distant, can come full circle.
