Cal State Fullerton finance grad and active crypto investor Severo De La Riva earned his undergrad degree in fall 2025 but began investing in the growing world of cryptocurrency even before he was a Titan. At the CSUF College of Business and Economics, he joined the Student Managed Investment Fund (SMIF) and later Titan Capital Management (TCM), both of which enable finance-focused students to manage real-world bond and equity portfolios. De La Riva noticed that cryptocurrency was absent from many of the Business Titans’ portfolios, and he resolved to change this by ensuring more emphasis on this growing field in curriculum and experiential learning.
Spearheading the Titan Blockchain Revolution
In August 2024, De La Riva, then portfolio manager from TCM, launched Titan Blockchain, a collaboration with such high-profile industry names as Coinbase, Polymarket, and Stand With Crypto. The club’s mission is to provide a space for crypto-focused finance students and a forum for Titans interested in exploring this growing field.
“Many schools have blockchain clubs based on computer science. But our club is more finance and business focused,” explains De La Riva. “I wanted it to stand out in this way. Crypto is the perfect intersection of finance and technology.”
At first, Titan Blockchain was a forum for students to discuss crypto trends. Within a year, the club had expanded to include guest speakers from major companies, and a $6 million stake from the blockchain firm Solana, to provide funding for study tours and club activities.
Already, members of the club have secured internships in the industry or are interviewing for career opportunities.
In early December, Stand With Crypto announced a college chapter program at 37 colleges and universities, including De La Riva’s CSUF chapter, with the aim of supporting digital asset community growth on campuses and power the next generation of industry leaders.
“It’s about giving students more options. If they want to go into finance, SMIF and TCM are the places to be. But if they want to go into crypto, Titan Blockchain is the place to be,” he explains.
Gaining Industry Experience at Coinbase – with the Help of Titan Alumni
In May 2025, De La Riva landed an institutional sales and trading internship with Coinbase, which turned into a full-time institutional sales and trading analyst role with the company. Central to acing the initial interview was the mentorship of Jeff Van Harte ’80, the philanthropic powerhouse behind Cal State Fullerton’s student-run investment programs, who provided advice on asking unique questions that no other applicant would ask.
De La Riva recognizes that without TCM, he would not be the finance professional he is today. He hopes that the college will rise to the challenge of attaining equal status in the crypto field as it has attained in equity and bond portfolio education.
“There is no crypto target school yet, so we can be that,” he says. “Companies realize that Cal State Fullerton produces good hires because of previous experience. The goal is to make Titan Blockchain and CSUF a brand for crypto.”
How the College of Business and Economics Prepares Students for Blockchain Success
De La Riva points to emotional intelligence and soft skills gained as a CSUF student as pivotal to his success thus far. “Speaking skills, being able to write well, and ability to back up investment ideas and theses, have really helped me” he says. “Finance in general is very competitive. Everyone wants to be right. They want to pick the right companies and assets. It pays huge dividends to not be afraid to ask questions and to ask why things are done that way.”
For the foreseeable future, De La Riva looks forward to expanding his crypto knowledge and acumen at Coinbase. But long-term, he has entrepreneurship in mind, with goals to start his own company in the future.
For more on how you can get involved in Titan Blockchain as an interested student, supportive alumnus, or industry partner, connect with them online. Or read more of our articles on finance education and research.
