From the Strip to the Blockchain

Jake graduated from Chaparral High School, where he was a football and track athlete, before earning a Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology from UNLV. During college, he held executive positions in Alpha Epsilon Pi fraternity — serving as VP, Treasurer, and Rush Chair across three years — developing a passion for leadership and entrepreneurship early on.

Jake spent ten years working on the Las Vegas Strip — five years as a Model Cabana Host at Planet Hollywood's party pool, and five years as a Model Beverage Runner at Omnia Nightclub. This decade shaped his understanding of hospitality, networking, high-energy environments, and the unique culture that makes Las Vegas a launching pad for entrepreneurs.

While working the Strip, he was building businesses on the side — NextGen Pickers (a tech-integrated antique store with his father) and Chameleon Verify Network (a peer-to-peer ticket fraud platform). He discovered Ethereum in the summer of 2016 and made his first crypto investment in the spring of 2017.

Discovered cryptocurrency through Ethereum and smart contracts in the summer of 2016. By 2017, Jake had allocated up to 90% of his net worth into the space — a testament to his conviction in the technology. Then came the hard lesson: he invested his entire profits into an ICO during the 2018 crypto winter and experienced a significant loss.

In March 2021, the rediscovery of MoonCats changed everything. Jake became the first person to sell MoonCats at Sotheby's — their October 2021 “Natively Digital 1.2” auction, alongside collectors like Paris Hilton and Steve Aoki. This cemented his reputation as one of the foremost voices in NFT archaeology and provenance.

In November 2022, he officially joined Emblem Vault, rising to CEO and leading the charge on cross-chain infrastructure that would eventually process $150M+ in trading volume. Today, he leads EmblemAI — the evolution of that infrastructure into an AI-powered DeFAI super app.

Jake Gallen's Guest List launched in spring 2020 as “The Guest List Podcast” when the Las Vegas Strip shut down during COVID. It quickly became a Top 6 Las Vegas podcast and rebranded on January 1, 2022 to expand beyond the Vegas scene. At episode 180, the show shifted focus exclusively toward crypto industry leaders.

Today it's 600+ episodes strong, reaching 75+ countries and 1,800+ cities. “The Vault,” a recurring morning show, airs live on Twitter Spaces and YouTube every Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday at 11:30 AM EST — covering multi-chain communities, emerging protocols, DeFi, gaming, and digital asset collecting.

Deeply embedded in the Las Vegas startup ecosystem through communities like Tech Alley, Pursue Vegas, Startup Vegas, and SCORE Las Vegas. Through Nativ Research, Jake hosted blockchain meetups at the Harry Reid Research & Technology Park that attracted the City of Las Vegas, NV Gaming Control Board, UNLV, MGM, Caesars, and numerous local businesses.

Named to Startup Vegas's 2021 Top 100 Men of Success, Jake actively promotes Las Vegas as a destination for tech and crypto entrepreneurs — citing Nevada's tax advantages, affordable cost of living, and intentional community building.