From McDonald’s nuggets to US law firm partner – Jonathan Galea on sticking to your mission

It’s been quite a ride for crypto expert Jonathan Galea.

Eight ago, he was surviving on a diet of McDonald’s chicken nuggets to limit his costs as he took the plunge and launched his own law firm.

Fast forward to the present and he’s been promoted to partner at Cahill Gordon & Reindel, a major US law firm whose alumni include former US Attorney General Loretta Lynch.

Speaking to MaltaCEOs, Dr Galea provided some insight into his mindset on his journey to the top.

“My journey in the crypto-asset industry has been a mix of the right time, right place, and an overzealous dose of belief in our current financial infrastructure requiring a thorough overhaul,” he said.

Dr Galea first stumbled onto Bitcoin in 2013, the heady days when you could buy a single Bitcoin for under €100.

“It would be easy to say that I immediately knew that it would be a revolutionary asset unlike anything we had seen,” he remarked. “The reality, however, is that it took me years to better understand its true value and the impact it could have on the modern world.”

He took a keen interest in the cryptocurrency world, helped set up the BGO BitMalta and started organising regular Bitcoin informational meet-ups.

And after publishing his Doctor of Law thesis on the effect Bitcoin would have on anti-money laundering legislation, Dr Galea was well-placed to advise the Maltese government when it decided to regulate crypto-assets as part of its ‘Blockchain Island’ push.

Dr Galea collaborated with the MFSA on Malta’s Virtual Financial Assets (VFA) legislation, the world’s first ad-hoc legal framework for crypto-assets at the time, which served as a blueprint for the EU’s MiCA Regulation.

In 2017, he took the ambitious step of starting up his own crypto legal and consultancy firm.

“I had absolutely no idea where to start, where to get clients, and how to service them,” he recalled.

“In 2018 alone, I spoke at over 30 international conferences, limiting costs by getting invited to speak for free and surviving on a diet of McDonald’s chicken nuggets – the 20-pack is great value.”

“Slowly, I built my network, which to this day remains the greatest professional asset I have.”

Dr Galea credits his own innate curiosity about latest technological developments as the driving force behind his success.

“The day I stop learning is the day I know I will have to hang up my boots and move on to something else – and that day, thankfully, is nowhere near,” he said.

“It’s easily the most dynamic industry I’ve worked in, and with the U.S. now moving to regulate the space more comprehensively, it’s also one of the most exciting times for lawyers to get involved.”

Dr Galea has some words of advice for people wondering whether to take a risk and pursue their dreams – it isn’t an easy ride but sticking to your mission is the right way to go.

“Nurturing any passion inevitably comes with compromise, sacrifice, and criticism,” he said.

“In my case, it was the regular derision and ridicule, especially in the early days whenever I told people I work in crypto.”

“Call it pig-headedness, call it unwavering commitment – but once you find your ‘mission’, stick to it, no matter what anyone else says or believes.”

“I did that, and here I am, possibly one of the very few Maltese lawyers in history to become a partner at a major US law firm. I don’t think I’ve fared too badly following my own advice.”