What I’ll Remember About 2021. And What I’m Looking Forward to in 2022.
This past year taught us a lot of lessons – about the importance of resilience; about the many ways the world can surprise us; and about our responsibilities to support one another through difficult times.
From where I sit, the most profound lesson I take from this past year is a reminder of the extraordinary capacity each of us has to make an impact in the world and to control our own destinies. This is perhaps best evidenced by the incredible scientists and leaders supporting the global response to COVID-19.
But it’s also true, on a much smaller scale, for us at SoFi: our Members and team rose to meet new opportunities and challenges.
As the pandemic continued, economic uncertainty persisted and new challenges like inflation emerged, it would have been understandable to lose hope and retreat to a sort of bunker mentality.
At SoFi, we chose to push forward despite these circumstances. That would not have been possible without our amazing SoFi team. This past year alone, our team brought our company through the process of going public, massively increased our member volume, expanded our product offering, integrated new teams from acquired companies, worked tirelessly toward a national bank charter, and so much more. I could not be more grateful. Everything SoFi delivers for its members is a reflection of the dedication and esprit de corps that our employees bring to their jobs each day.
Even more incredible has been witnessing you, our members: the more than three million people who make up the SoFi community who forge your own brave paths. You all demonstrated incredible creativity, boldness and willingness to take calculated risk to secure your own futures. And while not all of those risks will pay off, being thoughtful and being bold can go hand-in-hand.
You’re finding breathtaking, new ways to engage in the markets and, most importantly, investing in yourself. Leveraging the unprecedented access to investing in public markets and content distribution via social media to strategize collectively resulted in a new voice and market force like never before. Main street had a seat at the big kids table like never before and you created a new generation of investors of all ages.
You’re embracing the transformative potential of new technology platforms in blockchain and cryptocurrency assets. Nearly half of SoFi members report having bought crypto for the first time last year. We continue to see potential in this space though we urge members to carefully consider their risks when it comes to these highly volatile assets.
And you continue to challenge incumbent players across industries to fuel change across some of the biggest issues in our economy and society – from the growing movement to combat climate change, to transformative calls for social justice, to the remarkable work of rebuilding the internet as Web3, which holds the promise of driving power back to individuals and small entrepreneurs, where it belongs. For a company like SoFi that focuses its values on Doing the Right Thing and Putting Members First, it’s been so gratifying to see this trend play out on a broader world stage.
In all this, the SoFi community – and the broader cohort of Americans of which you are a part – is taking control of their own future, including their financial future. As we would say here at SoFi, we are working to help you get your money right.
So as I look to 2022 and beyond, my greatest hope is that SoFi can continue to be a great partner to you as you chart your own paths forward. We are committed to continuing to provide you with the products, services and guidance you need to manage your finances and we will always offer them fairly and responsibly.
Against this backdrop – the exciting engagement from our members and the deep commitment of the SoFi team – I cannot help but feel enormously excited about the year ahead. I say this knowing that nothing in the near-term looks easy. We will all have to endure new pandemic waves. Inflation will be an ongoing concern. And Fed rate hikes could suffocate economic growth. The big problems of climate change, systemic racism and so much more are far from solved.
But if 2021 taught us anything, it’s that we all have the ability to dare to win, driving our own lives and communities in better directions. So let’s keep getting after it and reach heights never achieved before in 2022. Fresh horses we ride!!
Happy new year and thank you for being a part of the SoFi family.
Sincerely,
Anthony Noto
CEO of SoFi
