Inside Wise Wolves’ vision for building a family-led fintech ecosystem
Wise Wolves Corporation, founded in Cyprus in 2016, has grown into a financial ecosystem with operations across Europe, Asia, the Middle East and the United States.
Yet Cyprus remains both the company’s headquarters and the home of its founders, Sergey and Anastasia Stopnevich.
Speaking to the Cyprus Mail, they shared how they complement one another, reinforce Cyprus’ position as a fintech hub, and support local communities through sport and charitable initiatives.
For the couple, balance was never something they had to force. Anastasia said they met later in life as mature and accomplished individuals, which made harmony between them feel natural.
“We don’t argue: our trust in and acceptance of each other are absolute. We also have different roles in our business and approaches.”
Those roles are distinct but complementary. Sergey explained that his responsibility is to see the bigger picture, analyse macroeconomics and build strategies that span decades.
“My role is to see the bigger picture, analyze macroeconomics, and build strategies for 10, 20, or sometimes even 50 years ahead,” he said, adding that with his mathematical mindset, “every decision ultimately comes down to numbers, models, and calculated scenarios.”
Anastasia described her role in contrast. She said she lives more in the moment, focusing on tactical decisions, the human factor and communication.
“It’s essential for me to see how people unlock their potential and how comfortable teams feel within the processes,” she explained. That is why, as she noted, she often translates Sergey’s strategic and mathematical ideas “into the language of concrete actions and tasks for our team.”
This complementarity also defines their approach to regulation. Sergey emphasised that the financial industry in Europe is strictly regulated and that this is built on honesty, trust and equality.
“For us, compliance is not just a formality; it is the very foundation of our clients’ trust,” he said. “We operate with complete transparency and strictly within the legal framework.”
Anastasia linked that to Cyprus’ traditions. She pointed out that businesses on the island have often been passed down through generations, from construction companies to wineries.
“Almost everyone can point to an example of a business founded by parents, carried on by their children, and now run by grandchildren,” she said.
In her view, Wise Wolves continues that pattern. “We believe that what a client has earned through their work must be preserved and passed on to children, grandchildren, and so on.”
When it comes to succession, she said the very idea of family wealth is evolving. For older generations, it meant real estate, securities and cash. “Younger people think differently,” she noted.
She explained that they now see heirs contributing not only cryptocurrency to inheritance structures but also digital legacies such as family archives, photos, books and even phone data.
Sometimes, she added, families go further by storing biomaterials. “Sometimes provisions are included for storing and distributing biomaterials, such as stem cells, as part of inheritance for future generations,” she said.
“This is already a form of ‘health capital’ that can help children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren.”
For Anastasia, the company’s role is to bridge these values. She said Wise Wolves reflects this shift in its work.
“We preserve the traditions of long-term planning while remaining open to what today’s families consider valuable.”
The couple also sees sport as another parallel to business. Sergey said endurance teaches the same qualities that companies need: long preparation, discipline and mental engagement.
“Endurance in sports teaches a simple principle: how to get from point A to point B and what effort it takes,” he said.
He added that marathons and triathlons demand tremendous commitment. “Long preparation, the ability to pace yourself, and the need to engage not only your body but also your mind. These qualities are absolutely identical to what business requires,” he said.
According to him, anyone who can complete nine or ten marathons understands that success in business comes only through discipline, strategy and systematic work. “At Wise Wolves, we build our culture in the same way: sport and business run in parallel, strengthening one another.”
Anastasia agreed but said for her endurance is closer to survival. Their generation, she explained, knows how to manage energy and stick to routines regardless of fatigue.
“Our generation knows how to survive, both in sports and in life. We are disciplined, we know how to manage our energy, and we stick to a routine regardless of whether we are tired or not,” she said.
She added that their children approach sport differently. “But the next generation is different. Our children do sports not out of obligation but out of love.”
She listed each of the six: “Artyom is passionate about triathlon, Ksenia swims at an American university, Alexander combines swimming and rowing, Tanya plays tennis, Masha sings and dances, and little Valeria Sofia already loves playing with a ball. They don’t need to be pushed, they do it because they truly enjoy it. And I am sure that this is exactly how they will build their businesses.”
From sport within the family, the step into sport in the community was natural. Wise Wolves recently became Platinum Sponsor of AEL Limassol BC, with Tría Finance taking on the name sponsorship.
Sergey said the decision reflected their roots in Cyprus. “Cyprus is our home. This is where we raise our children and build our business. That’s why supporting sports clubs, their history, and their achievements feels completely natural to us. It’s a contribution to the culture and the future of the community.”
Anastasia explained why AEL was the right choice. She said its story embodies continuity. “The story of AEL is a powerful example of continuity, something that is very close to our hearts. The club was founded by a grandfather, then passed on to his son, and we see the respect and love with which he continues his family’s legacy.”
The symbolism also mattered. “The name also played a role in our decision: ‘Tría’ resonates with the name of AEL’s fan club, and we saw a symbolic connection in that,” she said.
Finally, she pointed to the club’s structure, from children’s teams through to the European league. “The third contributing factor is the club’s growth system, children’s teams, youth leagues, the national level, and entry into the European league,” she explained. For her, this mirrors Wise Wolves’ own journey.
“We nurture people and build structures that have already expanded beyond Cyprus. Today, we have companies in the UAE and Switzerland, and we are looking toward the United States. Our ambitions and the club’s ambitions are very much alike, we both want to grow and achieve more. And we are confident that by supporting each other, side by side, we will deliver very strong results in the years ahead.”
Looking to the future, Sergey said Wise Wolves is focused on building infrastructure for fintech and family offices.
“We create infrastructure solutions that are vital for fintech and family offices. These include IP-box structures (preferential tax regime in Cyprus for profits from innovation and intellectual property investments) software for capital preservation, back-office and front-end systems, as well as mobile applications,” he said.
He added that these tools are not only for internal use. “We not only use these developments within the corporation but also provide them as services worldwide. For family offices, we build a ‘closed ecosystem’ that integrates brokerage, payments, trust solutions, and access to an international network, stretching from Switzerland to Dubai and the United States.”
Anastasia concluded by stressing the company’s role in Cyprus itself. She said Wise Wolves is deeply engaged in the island’s community life.
“I would add that we are also deeply engaged in the life of the island. Wise Wolves organizes a wide range of events such as client gatherings, sports initiatives, and charitable projects.”
She also mentioned their foundation. “We have a children’s charitable foundation, Together Forever, based in Cyprus, which supports children with rare neurological diseases. We also collaborate with other foundations, backing important social initiatives. More than 100 people work at the company, and that too is a contribution to Cyprus’ ecosystem: we create jobs and support professional communities.”
For Sergey and Anastasia, Cyprus is not just where Wise Wolves operates but where their life unfolds, the place where they raise their children, share their values and support the community around them. It is from this foundation of family and trust that their vision continues to grow, carrying Cyprus with them as they expand across the world.