According to Blockworks, several notable executive appointments have been made in the crypto and financial services sectors. Rich Kerr, a former executive at Charles Schwab, has joined bitcoin financial services firm Onramp as president of its managed wealth division. Kerr, who spent 31 years at Charles Schwab, most recently served as managing director of income and wealth solutions. He also held roles such as director of Schwab Wealth Advisory and contributed to the client services and support unit. Onramp CEO Michael Tanguma highlighted Kerr's extensive experience in wealth management as a perfect fit for the company's mission to support advisers and their clients with bitcoin financial services.
Canada-based investment firm Cypherpunk Holdings has also announced a new leadership appointment. Leah Wald, co-founder and former CEO of Valkyrie Investments, has been named president and CEO of Cypherpunk Holdings. CoinShares acquired Valkyrie’s ETF business in March, with Wald overseeing the company’s private funds. Wald's initial focus at Cypherpunk will be to assess the business and explore new opportunities. Cypherpunk is a publicly traded firm investing in blockchain-related businesses and crypto assets such as BTC and SOL.
In another significant move, bitcoin miner Ionic Digital has appointed John Penver as its chief financial officer. Penver, who previously served as CFO of TSS, Inc., brings nearly 20 years of experience in data centers. He expressed enthusiasm about combining his expertise in technology infrastructure and finance to align Ionic Digital’s corporate strategy and financials. The Austin-based company aims to go public, as noted in a recent news release.
Other notable appointments include former CFTC official Joshua Sterling joining Milbank LLP, where he will focus on regulatory and enforcement issues related to derivatives, financial market infrastructure, and crypto. Auros Ventures, which invests in digital assets and Web3 sectors, has named Julien Auchecorne as its leader. Auchecorne has previously held roles at XBTO, JPMorgan, and Brevan Howard. Additionally, Daniel Schoenberger, former chief legal officer at the Web3 Foundation, is now general counsel at Mina Foundation.