BYREISTHEBAULTfRESNO,CAlIf.—Theco-found-erswereusuallyebullient,butonthisemergencyvideocalltheysattogetherashen.Alwaysattentivetooptics,theydressedinblacktodeliverthegravenews:Theirdecade-oldstart-up,oncecel-ebratedasthehopefulfutureofthetechnologyindustry,wasoutofmoney,andtheirhundredsofemployeeswereoutofjobs.Thecompany,Bitwiseindus-tries,startedwithagrandvision.Thefounders,JakesoberalandirmaolguinJr.,promisedtoupliftmarginalizedcommunitiesandchangethenarrativesofunderes-timatedplaces,likethishard-luckcityinCalifornia’sCentralValley.overtheyears,thetwoco-chiefexecutiveshadtransformedBit-wisefromasmallcodingacademyintoanascendantplayerinthetechnologywor...