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Founder & CEO, Ualá
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Pierpaolo Barbieri is an Argentine economic historian, author, and the founder of the fintech unicorn Ualá. Having studied the devastating historical impact of Argentina’s cyclical economic crashes and hyperinflation, Barbieri realized that over half the country was completely locked out of the traditional banking system. He launched Ualá in 2017, offering a free prepaid Mastercard managed entirely through a smartphone. In 2026, Barbieri is the preeminent young financial disrupter of the region. Under his leadership, Ualá successfully acquired official banking licenses in Argentina, Mexico, and Colombia, operating as a fully fledged regional neobank. As Argentina undergoes the radical, highly volatile libertarian macroeconomic shock therapy of the Milei administration, Barbieri’s platform serves as a critical, stabilizing financial lifeline for millions of citizens, offering high-yield digital accounts to combat severe currency devaluation.
Founded Ualá successfully issuing millions of digital cards and banking accounts to citizens who had been historically ignored or rejected by traditional Argentine banks
Executed a massive incredibly complex strategic expansion securing official banking licenses and executing corporate acquisitions in Mexico and Colombia
Authored the critically acclaimed economic history book 'Hitlers Shadow Empire' demonstrating his deep intellectual grasp of macroeconomics prior to his tech career
Must constantly navigate the incredibly treacherous totally unpredictable monetary policies and capital controls enforced by the Argentine Central Bank which frequently attempt to restrict digital payment platforms from offering crypto assets or high-yield foreign currency accounts
Faces massive aggressive competition from Mercado Pago (backed by Marcos Galperin) engaging in a brutal highly expensive battle for digital wallet supremacy in the Southern Cone
Backed by massive global institutional investors including George Soros Steve Cohen and SoftBank