Business
How Richard P. Blankenship Created Substantial Net Worth for Himself Using His Network

Richard P Blankenship is the Cofounder and CRO of the fledgling Consumer Tech company Prizeout, a New York-based fin-tech company that raised 4.5 million in series A funding this summer. Many people may be hesitant to see a 29-year-old at such a high position in this arena, given that he started his entrepreneurial career in many different sectors- ranging from real estate, menswear, as well as sales for poker gaming. The successful partnership Blankenship has formed with Prizeout is symbolic of his prioritization of relationship building that has led to his success. Blankenship believes that every fruitful endeavor in his career was shared with his closest peers.
Blankenship has a robust portfolio that included some of the fastest-growing startups in the world, all of which were created through Blankenship’s extensive network. A prime example is Steve Borelli, a close friend and member of the same fraternity during Blankenship’s college days at San Diego State University. Borelli was the founder of a menswear brand called CUTS clothing, the company was expanding quickly and needed capital for inventory in order to cover a large number of orders. Borelli phoned Blankenship for help, and the two immediately struck up a deal, Blankenship wired him funds and became the first and only investor of the company. CUTS became an instant hit, with substantial growth after Blankenship jumped on board, as the company was able to prosper given the increasing demand for direct to consumer men’s fashion.
Blankenship was working as Chief Revenue Officer for Poker Central, the world’s largest poker media company when he met fellow serial entrepreneur, David Metz. The two met for dinner and Metz told Blankenship about Prize out. At the time, Metz was also CEO of a trivia app called Fleetwit, Blankenship and Metz spent about three months trying to get a deal done between Poker Central and Fleetwit. During their negotiation over the advertising and sponsorship deal, Metz brought up an idea for a fin-tech startup company which turned out to be Prize out. Blankenship immediately jumped on this opportunity, as he had consistent back and forth discussions with gaming executives who were looking to find more efficient payment solutions. Metz and Blankenship had formed a friendship over the course of their business relationship, so there was complete trust on Blankenship’s end. The deal was done on a handshake and Blankenship sent Metz the seed capital for Prizeout the following week.
Blankenship had strikingly similar success with Prizeout, as he did with his previous ventures in collaboration with his fellow entrepreneur friends, which later became partners. He joined the company in a full-time capacity after he had provided seed money, and was able to sign the biggest gaming companies as partners for Prizeout before the company closed its 4.5 million series A this summer. Blankenship attributes his path to success to his network of fellow friends and entrepreneurs, as he knows what they are capable of. He is always grateful to be reached out to for help as his friends believe in him, just like he believes in them- which has to lead to numerous prosperous ventures, like Prize out.
Business
High Volume, High Value: The Business Logic Behind Black Banx’s Growth

In fintech, success no longer hinges on legacy prestige or brick-and-mortar branches—it’s about speed, scale, and precision. Black Banx, under the leadership of founder and CEO Michael Gastauer, has exemplified this model, turning its high-volume approach into high-value results.
The company’s Q1 2025 performance tells the story: $1.6 billion in pre-tax profit, $4.3 billion in revenue, and 9 million new customers added, bringing its total customer base to 78 million across 180+ countries.
But behind the numbers lies a carefully calibrated business model built for exponential growth. Here’s how Black Banx’s strategy of scale is redefining what profitable banking looks like in the digital age.
Scaling at Speed: Why Volume Matters
Unlike traditional banks, which often focus on deepening relationships with a limited set of customers, Black Banx thrives on breadth and transactional frequency. Its digital infrastructure supports onboarding millions of users instantly, with zero physical presence required. Customers can open accounts within minutes and transact across 28 fiat currencies and 2 cryptocurrencies (Bitcoin and Ethereum) from anywhere in the world.
Each customer interaction—whether it’s a cross-border transfer, crypto exchange, or FX transaction—feeds directly into Black Banx’s revenue engine. At scale, these micro-interactions yield macro results.
Real-Time, Global Payments at the Core
One of Black Banx’s most powerful value propositions is real-time cross-border payments. By enabling instant fund transfers across currencies and countries, the platform removes the frictions associated with SWIFT-based systems and legacy banking networks.
This service, used by individuals and businesses alike, generates:
- Volume-based revenue from transaction fees
- Exchange spreads on currency conversion
- Premium service income from business clients managing international payroll or vendor payments
With operations in underserved regions like Africa, South Asia, and Latin America, Black Banx is not only increasing volume—it’s tapping into fast-growing financial ecosystems overlooked by legacy banks.
The Flywheel Effect of Crypto Integration
Crypto capabilities have added another dimension to the company’s high-volume model. As of Q1 2025, 20% of all Black Banx transactions involved cryptocurrency, including:
- Crypto-to-fiat and fiat-to-crypto exchanges
- Crypto deposits and withdrawals
- Payments using Bitcoin or Ethereum
The crypto integration attracts both retail users and blockchain-native businesses, enabling them to:
- Access traditional banking rails
- Convert assets seamlessly
- Operate with lower transaction fees than those found in standard financial systems
By being one of the few regulated platforms offering full banking and crypto support, Black Banx is monetizing the convergence of two financial worlds.
Optimized for Operational Efficiency
High volume is only profitable when costs are contained—and Black Banx has engineered its operations to be lean from day one. With a cost-to-income ratio of just 63% in Q1 2025, it operates significantly more efficiently than most global banks.
Key enablers of this cost efficiency include:
- AI-driven compliance and customer support
- Cloud-native architecture
- Automated onboarding and KYC processes
- Digital-only servicing without expensive physical infrastructure
The outcome is a platform that not only scales, but does so without sacrificing margin—each new customer contributes to profit rather than diluting it.
Business Clients: The Value Multiplier
While Black Banx’s massive customer base is largely consumer-driven, its business clients are high-value accelerators. From SMEs and startups to crypto firms and global freelancers, businesses use Black Banx for:
- International transactions
- Multi-currency payroll
- Crypto-fiat settlements
- Supplier payments and invoicing
These clients tend to:
- Transact more frequently
- Use a broader range of services
- Generate significantly higher revenue per user
Moreover, Black Banx’s API integrations and tailored enterprise solutions lock in these clients for the long term, reinforcing predictable and scalable growth.
Monetizing the Ecosystem, Not Just the Account
The genius of Black Banx’s model is that it monetizes not just accounts, but entire customer journeys. A user might:
- Onboard in minutes
- Deposit funds from a crypto wallet
- Exchange currencies
- Pay an overseas vendor
- Withdraw to a local bank account
Each of these actions touches a different monetization lever—FX spread, transaction fee, crypto conversion, or premium service charge. With 78 million customers doing variations of this at global scale, the cumulative financial impact becomes immense.
Strategic Expansion, Not Blind Growth
Unlike many fintechs that chase customer acquisition without a clear monetization path, Black Banx aligns its growth with strategic market opportunities. Its expansion into underbanked and high-demand markets ensures that:
- Customer acquisition costs stay low
- Services meet genuine needs (e.g., cross-border income, crypto access)
- Revenue per user grows over time
It’s not just about acquiring more customers—it’s about acquiring the right customers, in the right markets, with the right needs.
The Future Belongs to Scalable Banking
Black Banx’s ability to transform high-volume engagement into high-value profitability is more than just a fintech success—it’s a signal of what the future of banking looks like. In a world where agility, efficiency, and inclusion define competitive advantage, Black Banx has created a blueprint for digital banking dominance.
With $1.6 billion in quarterly profit, nearly 80 million users, and services that span the globe and the blockchain, the company is no longer just scaling—it’s compounding. Each new user, each transaction, and each feature builds upon the last.
This is not the story of a bank growing.
This is the story of a bank accelerating.
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