The Algorand Foundation named Staci Warden its chief executive on February 10, 20221. A press release made the appointment official. CoinDesk reported on February 10 that Warden replaced Sean Lee2. Lee had led the Singapore-based foundation for 18 months and was leaving for other opportunities in blockchain, CoinDesk wrote. Warden had sat on the foundation's board since September 2021, and her new role took effect immediately, the foundation said.
Three of the Algorand Foundation's 19 leadership moves on the record came in 2022
Leadership moves CryptoLately has verified at the Algorand Foundation, by year
- 2022: 3
- 2023, 2024, 2025, 2026
Moves: The Moves Ledger, CryptoLately's record of verified leadership moves, Oct. 3, 2016 to Oct. 2, 2026.
Read the chart as a table
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| 2022 | 3 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 1 |
| 2025 | 2 |
| 2026 | 13 |
18 CEO appointments on the record in 2022
CEO appointments CryptoLately has verified, by year; 2026 through Oct. 2, 2026
- 2022: 18
- 2019, 2020, 2021, 2023, 2024, 2025, 2026
Moves: The Moves Ledger, CryptoLately's record of verified leadership moves, Oct. 3, 2016 to Oct. 2, 2026.
Read the chart as a table
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| 2019 | 8 |
| 2020 | 7 |
| 2021 | 6 |
| 2022 | 18 |
| 2023 | 17 |
| 2024 | 26 |
| 2025 | 35 |
| 2026 | 18 |
The move
Warden's background spans finance and policy. She ran the Global Market Development practice at the Milken Institute before joining the foundation's board, the release said1. Earlier in her career she held senior roles at JPMorgan, the Nasdaq stock exchange, and the U.S. Treasury Department. “I am excited to build on everything the Foundation has achieved to date, and will be focused on scaling our commitment to our community and our global partners,” Warden said in the release. She named a specific figure for the mission. “1.7 billion people in the world do not have access to finance,” she said, calling it the problem Algorand's protocol was built to address.
Lee spoke to his own exit in the same release. “I've decided to leave the Algorand Foundation to pursue new opportunities in the blockchain space,” he said1. He added that he had “deep confidence in Staci's ability to lead the Algorand Foundation and the Algorand ecosystem through its next growth phase”. Board Chairman Kieron Guilfoyle credited Lee's tenure and named what came next for Warden. “Staci understands the potential for Algorand to become a dominant Layer One blockchain, and she has the experience and expertise to drive our global efforts to scale,” Guilfoyle said.
The foundation before and after
Lee's record at the foundation included two funding programs. The release credited him with completing the Accelerated Vesting program and launching the Viridis and Aeneas DeFi Funds1. He also oversaw the launch of Community Governance in the final quarter of 2021, the release said. CoinDesk reported that Algorand had already drawn institutional interest before Warden's arrival2. The outlet pointed to a $100 million fund that TechCrunch founder Michael Arrington launched in June 2021 to build on Algorand, plus the foundation's own $300 million development fund launched that September.
What came next
Warden ran the Algorand Foundation for about four and a half years. The Algorand Foundation announced her successor on September 9, 2026: William Herkelrath, a former Chainlink and Curv executive3. Herkelrath's appointment took effect August 31, 2026, and the release said he would lead a push into institutional adoption and post-quantum security. Warden gave her own account of the handoff. “Leading the Algorand Foundation has been one of the great privileges of my career,” she said, adding that she was "excited" for Herkelrath "and the team to carry that work forward". Two board seats changed in that September 9 announcement. Herkelrath and Alex Fowler joined, while Rebecca Rettig and Michael Mosier departed.
Sources
- Algorand Foundation, "The Algorand Foundation Announces Staci Warden as New CEO," February 10, 2022, https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/the-algorand-foundation-announces-staci-warden-as-new-ceo-301479468.html
- Sam Reynolds, "Algorand Foundation Appoints JPMorgan, Nasdaq Alum Staci Warden as CEO," CoinDesk, February 10, 2022, https://www.coindesk.com/business/2022/02/10/algorand-foundation-appoints-jpmorgan-nasdaq-alum-staci-warden-as-ceo
- Algorand Foundation, "Algorand Names William Herkelrath Chief Executive Officer," September 9, 2026, https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/algorand-names-william-herkelrath-chief-executive-officer-302873922.html