Adam Ludwin is the founder of Onyxcoin (formerly Chain), a cloud blockchain infrastructure that enables companies to create and provide improved financial service solutions through closed-ended blockchain networks. He is a venture capitalist and entrepreneur known for his work in the blockchain and cryptocurrency space. ^{[1] [3] [5]}

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Overview

Adam Ludwin established Chain in 2014 as a blockchain technology company focused on providing enterprise solutions for the financial services industry. Under his leadership, the company developed Chain Core, a blockchain infrastructure product designed to help organizations issue and transfer financial assets on private networks. The platform was created to address inefficiencies in the financial settlements industry, including high transfer fees, lack of transparency, settlement delays, and security issues.

In March 2022, Chain rebranded its token from CHN to XCN (Onyxcoin) and implemented several upgrades, including the Chain Decentralized Autonomous Organization (DAO), the beta release of the Onyx Cloud product, and XCN staking capabilities. These developments led to market attention and value growth for the token. ^{[1] [3] [4] [5] [6] [11]}

Education

Adam Ludwin holds an MBA from Harvard Business School, which he obtained in 2010. Prior to that, he earned a Bachelor of Science (B.S.) degree from the University of California, Berkeley in 2004. ^{[6] [7]}

Career

Ludwin founded Chain in 2014 with backing from several venture capital firms. The company raised over $40 million through funding and strategic partnerships with major financial institutions including Nasdaq, Orange, Capital One, and Citigroup, which served as the basis for working with blockchain.

Under Ludwin's leadership, Chain developed blockchain solutions aimed at modernizing financial systems. The company's core product allowed multiple independent blockchain networks to exist and work together, even when operated by different firms, using the principle of least authority to maintain security and control over assets.

In 2018, Chain was acquired by Lightyear Corp., a division within the Stellar Development Foundation. However, by 2021, the company began operating as a privately held corporation with new offices, shareholders, and a new board of directors.

The rebranding from Chain to Onyx Protocol in 2022 marked a significant evolution of the platform. The Onyx Protocol defines itself as a system that "allows participants to issue and control assets programmatically using digital signatures and custom rules," according to the platform's whitepaper.

It's important to note that Onyxcoin (XCN) and the Onyx Protocol are not affiliated with JP Morgan's blockchain unit, which was formerly called Onyx but rebranded to Kinexys in November 2024.

Ludwin has been recognized for his insights on blockchain technology and its applications in the financial sector. His vision for Chain focused on creating enterprise blockchain solutions that could address specific challenges in the financial industry while maintaining security and control.

The Onyx Protocol he developed allows companies to issue, store, and transfer digital assets on private independent networks through various ecosystem products, including RPC/API services and a ledger-as-a-service option called Sequence. ^{[1] [4] [5] [3] [7] [12] [13]}

Technology Contributions

Under Ludwin's direction, Chain developed several key technological innovations:

• Issuance Programs: A system allowing network participants to define and issue assets on the blockchain.
• Control Programs: Written in a Turing-complete programming language, these programs maintain custody of assets and can create sophisticated smart contracts.
• Block Signers and Generators: A security system where a group of "block signers" secure each network, while a single "block generator" creates blocks for efficiency.
• Onyx DAO: A decentralized governance system where XCN token holders can stake their tokens to participate in the governance of the Chain Protocol. ^{[1] [3] [4] [15]}

Onyxcoin (XCN)

The native token of the Onyx ecosystem, XCN, serves as both a utility and governance token. It allows holders to vote on community programs and protocol improvement plans through the Onyx DAO. The cryptocurrency also provides discounts on premium plans and serves as a payment method for Onyx Cloud and Sequence fees.

Onyxcoin has a maximum supply of 48.4 billion tokens. During its launch phase, 15 billion tokens were allocated to the foundation and 10 billion to the DAO, with monthly distributions of 200 million and 100 million coins, respectively.

Adam Ludwin's work with Chain and the development of the Onyx Protocol represents a significant contribution to enterprise blockchain solutions. His approach focused on creating practical applications of blockchain technology for financial institutions, emphasizing security, efficiency, and interoperability between different networks.

The Onyx Protocol continues to operate as a cloud blockchain infrastructure that allows companies to create private blockchain networks for enhanced financial services, addressing challenges in the traditional financial settlements industry. ^{[1] [3] [4] [8] [9] [10] [14]}

Interviews

Unchained Interview #01

On June 3, 2019, in a compelling episode of Unchained, host Laura Shin sat down with Adam Ludwin, then CEO of Chain, to explore how his company is reshaping the movement of financial assets through blockchain. Ludwin introduced the Chain Open Standard, a collaborative protocol designed to let multiple institutions share a single infrastructure, slashing costs and removing manual reconciliation. Unlike traditional databases, this “third option” enables each participant to retain sole ownership of their assets while transacting seamlessly across the network.

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Ludwin highlighted strategic partnerships with leading firms such as Nasdaq, Visa and Citigroup to underscore the protocol’s broad market appeal. He explained how public‑private key cryptography underpins secure, confidential transfers and paves the way for a fully digital financial system. Looking ahead, he envisioned all securities and currencies issued in digital form, including potential central bank digital currencies, offering unprecedented transparency, efficiency and a transformed user experience, positioning blockchain as the cornerstone of tomorrow’s financial infrastructure. ^[16]