Devin Finzer is the co-founder and CEO of OpenSea, a major marketplace for non-fungible tokens (NFTs) and related digital collectibles. He is known for helping bring NFT trading into the mainstream during the 2020 to 2022 cycle and for overseeing OpenSea’s evolution from a simple listing venue into a broader set of tools for creators, collectors, and professional traders across multiple blockchain ecosystems.
Overview
OpenSea operates as a marketplace layer, connecting wallets, collections, and liquidity through listing, bidding, and discovery workflows. The platform has been closely associated with the Ethereum NFT ecosystem and has also supported NFTs on other networks over time.
History and Background
Before OpenSea, Finzer worked as a software engineer, including at Pinterest, and co-founded Claimdog, a consumer finance product that was later acquired by Credit Karma.
OpenSea and Product Focus
Finzer co-founded OpenSea with Alex Atallah. OpenSea launched in 2017 and participated in Y Combinator. As NFT activity grew, OpenSea’s focus expanded from basic marketplace functionality to scalability, trust and safety, and more efficient on-chain execution.
Technology
OpenSea has supported Seaport, an open-source marketplace protocol designed to make NFT trading more flexible and gas-efficient, and has used it as a foundation for core marketplace activity.
- Marketplace primitives: listings, offers, and bidding workflows.
- Collection tooling: discovery, presentation, and verification signals.
- UX improvements: clearer order execution and protocol-level efficiency.
Use Cases and Market Position
OpenSea is used by creators and brands to distribute NFT collections, by collectors to access inventory across categories, and by traders for liquidity and price discovery. The platform’s conventions and protocol work have influenced broader discussions around NFT listings and royalties.
Risks and Considerations
NFT marketplaces face recurring risks, including counterfeit listings, phishing and social engineering, wash trading incentives, and intellectual property disputes. They also operate amid evolving regulation and ongoing debate about creator royalties and enforcement.
