Bette Chen Started Acala After Leaving Her Safe Job

• Bette Chen transitioned from software engineering to founding Acala, reshaping DeFi within the Polkadot ecosystem.
• She led Acala through a major crisis, restoring trust with community-driven solutions and transparent leadership.

While most people are still trying to understand what blockchain is, Bette Chen has already rolled up her sleeves and helped build it from the inside.

Rather than just being a spectator, this University of Auckland graduate chose an unusual path. Who would have thought that her interest in reading the Bitcoin whitepaper would be the turning point that changed the entire direction of her life.

Initially, Bette was just an ordinary software engineer. She worked at a technology company, went through a routine, and had a fairly stable future. But on the other hand, her curiosity about the world of decentralized finance grew.

She then made the decision to pursue an MBA, going all the way to the Fuqua School of Business at Duke University. This combination of technical logic and business instincts is what later became a strong foundation when she entered the crypto industry.

Bette Chen: Bridging Tech and Finance with a Bold New Mission

After her MBA, Bette did not immediately build an empire. She started from the bottom again, this time focusing on products that bridge technology and finance. Together with her team, she founded Laminar—a platform for synthetic assets and margin trading.

In 2019, Bette and her colleagues from Laminar and Polkawallet decided to form Acala Network. Their vision was simple but ambitious: to create a cross-chain DeFi hub on the Polkadot network. In simple terms, think of Acala as a ‘digital bank’ in the crypto world that can be accessed across networks, complete with stablecoins, staking, and a DEX.

It didn’t take long for Acala to steal the show. In November 2021, they won the first parachain slot on Polkadot via a crowdloan with 32 million DOT backing. If converted, it was worth more than $1.3 billion at that time. That’s an incredible amount, and it’s clear evidence of the community’s trust in Bette and her team’s vision.

When Crisis Hit, Bette Faced It Head-On

However, no journey is completely smooth. In August 2022, Acala faced a major crisis. A misconfiguration in the liquidity pool caused 3 billion aUSD to be minted that shouldn’t have existed.

Rather than avoiding or blaming the team, Bette took an active role in solving the problem. She led the community to track down and burn the misminted tokens, and restore stability to the network. It’s not just about technicalities, it’s about trust. And more importantly, it’s about leadership.

In a crypto industry often filled with false promises and fickle projects, Bette’s approach feels refreshing—transparent, responsive, and drama-free.

More Than Code: A Voice for the Future of DeFi

Furthermore, Bette doesn’t merely write code in the background. She also actively speaks on forums, podcasts, and social media. On the X platform, she often shares her views on the future of DeFi, interoperability, and the challenges of building a cross-chain ecosystem. Sometimes serious, sometimes lighthearted—but always down-to-earth.

What sets Bette apart from most crypto founders is perhaps her rare combination of technical expertise, deep understanding of the market, and a strong human instinct. She doesn’t speak in confusing jargon, but she talks about solutions, opportunities, and responsibilities.