Young Entrepreneur’s Journey into Crypto Trading
Denis Dariotis, a 22-year-old entrepreneur and the CEO of GoQuant, a firm dedicated to cryptocurrency trading software, recalls the early challenges he faced while managing his trading portfolio as a young student. “I distinctly remember asking my teachers for a brief break from class to monitor my portfolio during market hours,” Dariotis shared during a recent interview. He recounted an instance where a teacher expressed curiosity about his trading activities, but he swiftly closed his laptop, asserting, “No, I’m afraid that’s private.” This moment foreshadowed the launch of his crypto-focused dark pool application, which he unveiled just last month.
Fascination with Markets from an Early Age
Dariotis grew up in Montreal, where his fascination with trading began as a child, captivated by the vibrant green and red symbols on CNBC that his parents played in the background. It didn’t take long for him to connect these market tickers to the money he saved in his piggy bank. Inspired by the investment principles of Warren Buffet, Dariotis transitioned from a budding investor to an aspiring computer programmer. “By the time I was around 11 or 12, I developed an interest in coding, starting with basic web development and eventually advancing to Python and C++,” he reflected.
Automating the Trading Process
Dariotis’ narrative illustrates a natural progression toward creating trading infrastructure. At just 13, he realized that sifting through extensive datasets was consuming too much of his time, prompting him to explore ways to automate the process. This automation would allow him to dedicate more time to researching trading strategies and enhancing his performance.
Discovering Quantitative Trading
Initially unaware of quantitative trading, Dariotis began back-testing various strategies while delving into portfolio construction, optimization, risk management, and the intricate workings of quantitative markets. His dedication paid off when, at the age of 15, he secured a consulting deal with a major Canadian bank, marking the start of his professional journey. This opportunity was followed by collaborations with other investment managers. At a trading and data science conference in New York, a prominent hedge fund attempted to recruit him immediately—until they learned of his age. “When they found out I was only 15, they were quite taken aback,” he noted.
Identifying Gaps in the Crypto Market
It was during this period that Dariotis began to explore the world of cryptocurrency. He quickly recognized the retail-driven nature of crypto markets, which lacked robust institutional infrastructure. The fragmentation of liquidity across various platforms—both centralized and decentralized exchanges, as well as OTC desks—became apparent to him. Utilizing his data tools, Dariotis identified latency issues in how trading venues updated their order books, leading to the decision to build a comprehensive infrastructure stack.
GoQuant’s Rapid Growth
By January 2025, GoQuant had successfully raised a $3 million pre-seed round followed by a $4 million seed round, with backing from the crypto trading firm GSR. The company now manages over $1 billion in daily trading volume and employs approximately 80 people across locations in the U.S., Europe, India, the Philippines, and Morocco. Recent developments include the launch of the GoDark institutional dark pool and a GoCredit lending platform, which has around half a billion dollars worth of crypto loans in the pipeline.
Vision for the Future
“Our goal is to be at the forefront of how value is exchanged,” Dariotis explained. “We see ourselves primarily as a technology provider rather than a financial intermediary, especially as everything evolves into a market—be it prediction markets or the tokenization of various assets. There is an increasing necessity for a central platform that connects all these elements efficiently.”
Advice for Aspiring Young Entrepreneurs
When asked what advice he would offer to young individuals striving to build billion-dollar enterprises from their bedrooms, Dariotis emphasized the importance of adaptability. “You must be flexible, ready to adjust your approach, and open to pivoting,” he advised. “Initially, we focused solely on data, and while we could have continued down that path successfully, it’s crucial to avoid creating product silos. Even if they could stand alone as $100 million businesses, they hold the potential to be significantly more valuable by cultivating a fully integrated ecosystem.”
