Apollo’s Crypto Bet: Why Plume May Be the Crown Jewel | by Chip Mahoney | The Capital | May, 2025

“Do not go where the path may lead, go instead where there is no path and leave a trail.” — Ralph Waldo Emerson

When you hear the name Apollo Global Management, you probably don’t think of blockchain, tokenization, or crypto at all. You think of private equity deals, real estate, insurance, credit — the traditional empire-building bricks of one of the most formidable alternative asset managers on the planet. Marc Rowen, their CEO, is leading the charge of TradFi and Web3.

Apollo has spent decades mastering the art of finding value where others miss it. From distressed debt to leveraged buyouts, they’ve built a $600+ billion fortress by seizing on inefficiencies, unlocking hidden value, and executing with ruthless precision.

And now, Apollo has quietly placed a few chips on the crypto table.

But here’s what matters for readers looking to own the economy and not just participate in it: Apollo has only gone big on two crypto projects — and one of them stands out as the real asymmetric bet.

Apollo didn’t get here by chasing hype. Their roots go back to the 1990s, scooping up distressed assets from fallen giants like Executive Life. They became known for squeezing returns out of…