Anthony Scaramucci is an American financier, entrepreneur, and media commentator best known as the founder and managing partner of SkyBridge Capital and the founder of the SALT Conference. After building his reputation in traditional finance and alternative investments, he became an early institutional advocate for Bitcoin and digital assets, positioning SkyBridge as one of the higher-profile U.S. investment firms to pivot part of its strategy toward crypto exposure.
Overview
Born in 1964 in Long Island, New York, Scaramucci began his career on Wall Street in the late 1980s and went on to become a prominent figure in hedge funds, fund-of-funds investing, and financial media. While he briefly served as White House communications director in 2017, his core business identity is as the founder of SkyBridge Capital, an alternatives-focused investment firm, and as the organizer of SALT, a global conference series that brings together investors, policymakers, and technology leaders.
In the 2020s, Scaramucci became well known in the digital asset space as a vocal supporter of Bitcoin, Ethereum, and broader crypto infrastructure, frequently arguing that digital assets were becoming a core part of long-term institutional portfolios.
Early Life and Traditional Finance Career
Scaramucci grew up in a middle-class family and attended Tufts University, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in economics. He later graduated from Harvard Law School before entering the financial industry. He began his Wall Street career at Goldman Sachs, initially in banking and then in the equities division, gaining experience in capital markets and institutional sales.
In 1995 he co-founded Oscar Capital Management, which was later sold to Neuberger Berman. In 2005 he launched SkyBridge Capital, initially focused on hedge-fund-of-funds strategies that provided diversified exposure to alternative managers for high-net-worth and institutional clients. Through SkyBridge, Scaramucci built relationships across the hedge fund industry and expanded into events and thought leadership via the SALT Conference, which became a notable platform for discussions on macroeconomics, geopolitics, and investment trends.
SkyBridge Capital and Move into Digital Assets
SkyBridge Capital’s shift toward digital assets began in earnest around 2020, when the firm launched Bitcoin-focused funds and began allocating a portion of its flagship portfolios to crypto. Scaramucci framed Bitcoin as “digital gold”, highlighting its capped supply and growing adoption as reasons for long-term institutional interest. The firm also explored exposure to Ethereum and other crypto-related investment products, including publicly traded companies and funds tied to the sector.
Scaramucci frequently appeared in financial media to defend the investment thesis for Bitcoin during both bull and bear markets, arguing that volatility should be viewed in the context of a multi-decade adoption curve. SkyBridge also positioned itself as a partner for investors seeking managed exposure to crypto within a broader alternatives allocation, rather than as a pure-play crypto specialist.
Relationship with FTX and Subsequent Fallout
In 2022, FTX Ventures acquired a significant minority stake in SkyBridge Capital, creating strategic ties between the two firms and prompting collaboration on events and product ideas. Anthony Scaramucci was initially supportive of FTX and its founder, publicly praising the exchange’s growth and infrastructure.
The collapse of FTX in November 2022 and the subsequent criminal charges against its leadership abruptly transformed that relationship. SkyBridge had to navigate both the financial and reputational consequences of the transaction. Scaramucci moved quickly to distance SkyBridge from FTX, publicly criticizing the alleged fraud and emphasizing that SkyBridge was an independent, going concern with diversified holdings. Over time, the firm pursued arrangements to repurchase the FTX stake, reasserting full control and signaling a determination to remain active in digital assets while learning from the episode.
Crypto Advocacy, SALT, and Public Role
Beyond direct investment activity, Scaramucci has used his media presence and the SALT platform to advance conversations about digital assets, regulation, and institutional adoption. SALT conferences in New York, Abu Dhabi, and other locations have increasingly featured panels on Web3, DeFi, tokenization, and blockchain infrastructure, alongside more traditional macro and private-markets content.
Scaramucci’s commentary often stresses a few recurring themes: the importance of clear and consistent regulation for digital assets, the likelihood that Bitcoin and other leading networks will become core components of diversified portfolios, and the view that the U.S. risks losing financial innovation to other jurisdictions if it fails to establish a competitive regulatory framework. He has also highlighted the role of stablecoins, tokenized real-world assets, and blockchain-based payment systems in modernizing capital markets.
Media, Politics, and Public Perception
Anthony Scaramucci’s brief tenure as White House communications director in 2017 and his subsequent media appearances have made him a well-known public personality beyond finance. He has authored books on entrepreneurship and Wall Street, appeared regularly on financial news networks, and maintained an active presence on social media.
This visibility has been both an asset and a source of controversy, as his outspoken style and political history attract strong reactions. In the context of digital assets, however, his public profile has helped bring crypto discussions into more mainstream financial circles, particularly among allocators and managers who follow SkyBridge and SALT content.
Significance for the Digital Asset Ecosystem
Anthony Scaramucci’s role in the digital asset ecosystem is that of a bridge between traditional finance and crypto markets. As the leader of an established alternatives firm, he has helped normalize the idea that institutional portfolios can include Bitcoin, Ethereum, and related strategies, while acknowledging the risks and regulatory uncertainties that remain.
For the broader industry, his journey underscores both the opportunities and pitfalls of rapid integration between legacy finance and crypto-native platforms, as illustrated by the FTX episode. Through SkyBridge’s ongoing involvement, SALT’s programming, and his media advocacy, Scaramucci remains a prominent figure in shaping how institutional investors and policymakers perceive the long-term role of digital assets in the global financial system.
