The last two years have been a real whirlwind for cryptocurrency mogul Dan Romero. In 2019, he ditched his cushy executive role at Coinbase, where he’d spent five years and helped the crypto juggernaut grow from a staff of 20 to hundreds across the globe. In late 2020, the longtime San Francisco resident moved to Los Angeles when his wife Julia DeWahl — the former chief of staff at real estate tech company OpenDoor — joined SpaceX as a member of Starlink Global Operations.
But the biggest change, of course, has been the value explosion of cryptocurrency. Bitcoin jumped from about $3,000 at the start of 2019 to more than $60,000 at its peak earlier this year, likely making early adopter Romero a multimillionaire many times over. Romero, 33, and DeWahl, 34, have since become angel investors who’ve backed dozens of startups, in addition to the latter’s day-to-day role at SpaceX.
And this year, the couple has also made big real estate moves in both California and Utah, where records show the avid skiers dumped more than $13 million on two lavish residences — a main home in L.A.’s seaside community of Venice, and a ski chalet retreat in ritzy Park City, about 30 miles southeast of Salt Lake City.
The Venice home is actually a bonafide compound made up of two side-by-side land parcels that total nearly 11,000 square feet and contain four standalone structures, a real rarity in the tightly-packed area. Romero and DeWahl paid $7.3 million for the estate, which includes more than 4,400 square feet of living space spread out among a clapboard-sided two-story main house, Craftsman-style guest cottage, wee poolhouse and a detached garage with its own “artist’s studio.” Altogether, there are nine bedrooms and six baths.
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Image Credit: Zillow -
Image Credit: Zillow -
Image Credit: Zillow In addition to the rare two-parcel lot, the property’s main highlights are its privacy — the entire place is shielded from the street behind a dense hedge wall — and its proximity to the perennially trendy Abbot Kinney shopping/dining district, which lies just a literal quick skip away. There’s also a backyard plunge pool set among a lush carpet of grassy lawn.
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Image Credit: Zillow -
Image Credit: Zillow -
Image Credit: Zillow Only three weeks before they closed on the Venice compound, the DeWahl-Romeros dropped millions more on a woodsy Park City mansion. Property records don’t specify exactly how much the couple paid — Utah is a bit stingy about those sorts of things — but the house had once been offered for as much as $6.7 million and was last asking just under $6.4 million.
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Image Credit: Zillow -
Image Credit: Zillow -
Image Credit: Zillow Built in 2006 and ideally situated in the Paintbrush community within the exclusive Village at Empire Pass, the nearly 5,700-square-foot home was “constructed with an abundance of stone and timber,” according to the listing, with a blend of rustic design and modern conveniences throughout. Amenities include top-of-the-line SubZero and Wolf appliances, oak hardwood floors, electric window shades and a wine cellar.
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Image Credit: Zillow -
Image Credit: Zillow -
Image Credit: Zillow All four of the bedrooms sport ensuite baths, and there’s also a bonus room above the garage that could be a fifth bedroom or games room. The property also includes hefty HOA dues of $2,217 per month and a full membership to the Talisker Club, which offers in-house dining, a full-service spa, fitness facilities and a kids activity area.
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Image Credit: Zillow -
Image Credit: Zillow -
Image Credit: Zillow -
Image Credit: Zillow -
Image Credit: Zillow -
Image Credit: Zillow -
Image Credit: Zillow