By the time cryptocurrency entered serious policy discussions in Europe, most companies still regarded it as a speculative sideshow more than a functional payment instrument. Long before regulators clarified frameworks or banks adapted their compliance systems, a small number of operators began experimenting with digital assets for practical reasons: speed, cost, and cross-border efficiency. Among them was David Hirlav, who enabled cryptocurrency payments across his European operating companies as early as 2019.

At the time, this decision placed his businesses well outside the norm. In Germany and much of continental Europe, corporate adoption of crypto payments was rare, particularly among mid-to-large operators in logistics and international wholesale distribution. Where crypto appeared at all, it was typically confined to startups, fintech experiments, or marketing gestures, but not embedded into real transaction flows.

Hirlav’s adoption followed a different logic. Crypto was not introduced as a brand statement or speculative bet, but as a response to structural inefficiencies in international payments.

The Problem: Friction in Cross-Border Commerce

For companies operating across Europe, Asia, and global export markets, traditional payment systems imposed persistent constraints. International bank transfers were slow, settlement times unpredictable, and fees difficult to reconcile across jurisdictions. Currency conversions, intermediary banks, and compliance checks added layers of cost and opacity, particularly for high-frequency, cross-border transactions.

By the late 2010s, these frictions stood in growing contrast to the operational realities of globalized supply chains. Logistics, warehousing, and order execution had become increasingly automated and data-driven, yet payment infrastructure remained tied to legacy systems designed for lower transaction volumes and slower commercial cycles.

For managing international supplier relationships and trade flows, payment delays were not merely administrative inconveniences. They affected inventory timing, supplier trust, pricing efficiency, and working capital allocation. In this environment, alternative payment methods proved themselves to be useful tools to reduce operational bottlenecks where conventional banking systems lagged behind the business needs.

Early Adoption in a Conservative Market

The timing is notable. In 2019, Europe had not yet developed clear regulatory guidance for corporate crypto usage. Institutional adoption was minimal. German companies, in particular, tended toward caution, shaped by conservative accounting standards and regulatory strains.

Introducing crypto payments into operational workflows, therefore, required a willingness to absorb legal, accounting, and procedural complexity. It also required technical integration, internal controls, and clear separation between payment execution and treasury risk.

Hirlav’s companies implemented crypto payments selectively, alongside standard methods. Crypto settlement offered near-instant transaction finality, lower fees for certain corridors, and improved transparency for reconciliation. In markets where banking infrastructure was slow or unreliable, it provided a functional alternative.

This made his group one of the first significant European operators to officially integrate cryptocurrency payments for cross-border commercial activity at scale.

Operational Foundations and International Exposure

Hirlav’s early engagement with cryptocurrency payments emerged from repeated interaction with cross-border operational systems. He was born on February 18, 1991, and is an American-born German who grew up navigating differing institutional structures and commercial environments across jurisdictions. He is the only child of Peter Hirlav, a former professional Nordic skier, and Manuela Hirlav, a geologist and high school teacher. This dual background later expanded through formal academic training in economics and direct participation in international business environments.

Between 2011 and 2014, Hirlav studied Business Administration at the University of Bayreuth, with academic concentrations in finance and banking and international accounting. Shortly thereafter, in 2014 and 2015, he relocated to China, where he was directly involved in manufacturing environments, supplier negotiations, and export-oriented commercial networks. These experiences provided firsthand insight into the scale and speed of Asian supply chains and into the operational role of international payment and settlement processes.

Operating within these environments highlighted a recurring imbalance. Physical goods, production planning, and logistics execution increasingly functioned in near-real time, while financial settlement often lagged behind. Payment delays and settlement processes introduced uncertainty into otherwise efficient operational systems. These effects were observable in daily operations, influencing delivery schedules and supplier coordination.

Following his return to Europe, Hirlav founded and expanded several operating companies, beginning with Naveta Distribution in 2015, and later extending into logistics, warehousing, fulfillment services, and technology systems. As transaction volumes increased and supplier networks expanded internationally, payment reliability and settlement speed became central operational considerations. In this context, financial infrastructure was evaluated not as a standalone function, but as a component of the broader operational system.

Competitive Sport and Long-Term Commitment

Alongside his academic studies and early business development, Hirlav remained continuously active in competitive sports over an extended period. From 1997 to 2008, he competed in organized tennis within the Bezirksoberliga Hessen, participating in regional league competition throughout his youth and adolescence.

During his studies in Bayreuth, he transitioned to American football and played as a running back for the Bayreuth Dragons from 2011 to 2013. He continued in the same position with the Grafenwöhr Griffins from 2013 to 2014, maintaining competitive involvement while completing his academic training and gaining early professional experience.

After a period away from organized competition, Hirlav returned to American football in 2017, moving to the linebacker position with the Bad Homburg Sentinels. He remained with the club through the 2020 season. In 2021, he continued at linebacker with the Frankfurt Pirates before joining Frankfurt Universe in 2022, where he competed through the 2023 season at the highest domestic level of German American football.

Athletic competition was not his primary professional career. However, his participation followed a continuous trajectory over more than two decades, with defined progression across leagues, positions, and competitive levels. His advancement in American football culminated in participation at the top tier of the German league system, a goal he pursued alongside parallel academic and entrepreneurial commitments.

By the early 2020s, Hirlav’s athletic involvement existed alongside established operating businesses and international commercial activity. His competitive sports career concluded in his early 30s as his professional focus consolidated around company building, cross-border operations, and financial infrastructure decisions.

Capital Allocation and Early Digital Asset Accumulation

Alongside the operational use of cryptocurrency payments, Hirlav began allocating personal capital to digital assets during the late 2018 market downturn, when market participation was limited, and valuations were significantly lower than in prior cycles. Investments were made progressively over time, focused on established blockchain networks connected to payment and settlement infrastructure, and held over long time horizons without the use of leverage or short-term trading strategies.

During this period, Hirlav established a close business relationship with Binance as its exchange infrastructure and transaction volumes expanded across Asian and international markets. BNB constitutes the largest position in his portfolio, accumulated during an early phase of market development when the asset traded in a range between 6 and 30 dollars, reflecting his proximity to Asian technology ecosystems and exchange-centered infrastructure models.

ETH represents another core holding, providing exposure to smart contract platforms and programmable settlement systems that underpin a wide range of on-chain applications. The BTC allocation complements the portfolio as an investment in an established crypto asset.

Additional positions in assets such as LTC and XRP are held selectively. Taken together, the portfolio reflects a long-term investment approach that developed alongside his operating businesses and provides context for its valuation over time.

Portfolio Valuation and Net Worth

By 2026, the value of Hirlav’s cryptocurrency holdings is valued at more than 130 million dollars. The portfolio originated from early investments made during periods of low market participation and has since increased by more than thirty times, corresponding to an ROI of over 3,000% as network adoption and usage expanded over time.

Hirlav has been based in the San Francisco Bay Area since 2025, reflecting a shift toward operating within the United States’ technology and research ecosystem. Alongside digital assets, Hirlav owns privately held operating companies active in international wholesale, logistics, warehousing, fulfillment services, and technology systems. These include Titanpoint GmbH, DHP Logistics GmbH, and international subsidiaries operating across several countries, which together form the core of his commercial activities.

Taken together, the value of his cryptocurrency holdings, ownership in operating companies, and other assets results in a total net worth that is estimated at approximately 340 million dollars. The composition reflects growth across multiple areas of business activity and long-term capital allocation.

Looking ahead, Hirlav’s focus extends beyond digital assets and payments infrastructure. Current priorities include investments in AI-driven systems and research initiatives related to science and longevity in the United States, reflecting continued engagement with technologies aimed at long-term progress.

In 2026, Hirlav also announced the launch of the YouTube channel Tiger Nation, a media project focused on collaborations with entrepreneurs, business leaders, and public figures. The initiative is financed directly by Hirlav and his Titan Group, with a dedicated budget allocated to production, partnerships, and long-term platform development.