Democratizing Institutional Yield: Inside Kleos Finance’s Mission for Financial Freedom

Kleos is “building a platform that democratizes the access to institutional-grade strategies,” Sanna said in an interview for Sandmark. Everyday savers can make deposits via a bank-account transfer or a crypto wallet and withdraw their returns with a Visa credit card. At the same time, “we want to give users the same rigour and clarity that institutions have in terms of compliance, transparency and risk framework,” he said.

Kleos offers an app that bundles curated strategies from selected hedge funds into simple “plans” that any user can subscribe to. It relies on an internal risk framework and due-diligence process that is tailored to the needs of retail investors.  Sanna and Ricci said the firm wants to set itself apart from early decentralized finance projects by selecting hedge funds with proven track records and delivering sustainable returns rather than chasing double digit yields. 

Their message is clear: risk-adjusted performance is more important than speculative gains.

A bridge between TradFi and DeFi

“We really want to close that gap between traditional finance and DeFi,” Ricucci said. For Kleos, investment alone would not be enough to attract mainstream users, considering the scale of investment products and opportunities that are currently available. 

USDC – the US dollar-denominated stablecoin issued by Circle – sits at the core of the platform. The team saw stablecoin adoption rising, especially in Europe, and chose USDC because of its compliance, transparency and liquidity. USDC is also the principal stablecoin integrated into Visa’s crypto card programme, which made it a natural choice for both the investment infrastructure and the payments layer.

Due diligence and trust

Accessing hedge fund strategies through a smartphone raises obvious questions about trust. Ricucci stresses that Kleos’ due-diligence process mirrors what institutional investors would expect. The team speaks directly with funds and their trading teams to ensure they have stable communications and consolidated track records. 

Only regulated managers make it onto the platform, and, at least for now, the company avoids automated DeFi protocols. “We are not a get rich quick scheme,” Ricucci emphasizes; the plans are designed to last five to ten years. The founders want to build long-term wealth rather than chase speculative spikes.

Kleos also says it isn’t a bank and doesn’t offer investment advice. Instead, Sanna describes it as a “financial layer” that gives broader access to institutional-grade yield and everyday payments. The platform relies on regulated partners – electronic money institutions for IBAN accounts and cards, and a virtual asset service provider licence in Europe for the crypto side – to ensure compliance while operating at speed.

Building a new financial layer

Looking ahead, Sanna and Ricucci see stablecoins and traditional infrastructure converging. Stablecoin adoption has created a global market worth approximately $200 billion, and Kleos wants to be a leading platform as the market matures.

For the Kleos founders, this is more than just a business model. It’s part of their guiding mission to build and position the company as a key player within an inclusive financial system. 

They hope users will “grow with Kleos” – using traditional bank accounts, taking advantage of crypto wallets, and ultimately financing everyday life through their earnings. Their success will be defined by the distinction between traditional finance and digital assets becoming a thing of the past.