Bitcoin Mining, AI & The Future of Energy Infrastructure

As a 2nd generation oil & gas professional, Mario is passionate about the intersection of Bitcoin, Bitcoin mining, and energy. He serves as VP of Business Development at Giga Energy, a leading Bitcoin mining and power infrastructure company.

After his tenure in ExxonMobil's upstream technology company, Mario has spent time in the Bitcoin space across financial services (Unchained Capital), private equity (AEXA Digital), and consulting (Vibe Energy).

Mario helps organize the Houston Bitcoin Meet Up, is active in supporting the Bitcoin adoption in his home country of Colombia and the greater Latam region, and advises startups across the Bitcoin technology space.

Benjamin was recruited to Riot in October 2018, initially to serve as a director and chair of the audit committee of the Board of Directors. He was elected Chairman of the Board in November 2020 and nominated to the role of Executive Chairman in May 2021.

Benjamin is the architect responsible for the Company’s turnaround and position as a leading Bitcoin-driven infrastructure platform company. Under his guidance and leadership, Riot has raised over $1.5 billion, significantly improved its operational and financial profile, reconstituted a more diverse Board of Directors, established a professionalized, cross-functional management team, and successfully integrated two strategic acquisitions.

Benjamin brings a broad portfolio of experience in investment management, strategy, corporate development, and governance to the Company. In addition to having served as a director of several public and private companies, he also brings two decades of unique capital markets experience to the management team, with a particular expertise in fintech-enabled businesses, specialty finance, and special situations investing through a company's capital structure.

Prior to Riot, Benjamin led the capital markets efforts at IOU Financial, a tech-enabled lender to small businesses, which was acquired by Neuberger Berman in 2023. Prior thereto, he worked directly under the late Ned Goodman, a renowned Canadian financier, investor and founder of Dundee Corporation, a Toronto-based conglomerate. Prior to Dundee, Benjamin was a securities analyst at the predecessor to 1832 Asset Management L.P., where he covered energy and special situations investments on a team managing one of North America's largest natural resources-focused investment funds. Benjamin holds a Master of Finance degree from the Rotman School of Management and a Bachelor of Commerce degree from Trinity College in the University of Toronto. He is a CFA charter holder and member of the CFA Society Cayman Islands.

Asher Genoot is the Chief Executive Officer of Hut 8, one of North America’s largest digital asset mining and high-performance computing infrastructure providers. He also serves as a Board Member of American Bitcoin and is a Co-founder of US Bitcoin Corp.
In addition to his leadership roles in the crypto and energy sectors, Asher is an Advisory Council Member for the University of Southern California’s Business of Energy Transition Initiative. Recognized for his impact and entrepreneurial achievements, he is a member of the 2024 North America Forbes 30 Under 30 (Energy) list and the Young Presidents’ Organization (YPO).