Animoca Brands named John Madden a director on its board, effective December 10, 20251. Madden had served as the company's secretary since 2019. Animoca Brands announced the move on December 15, 2025, and iGaming.org reported it the same day2.
Four leadership moves at Animoca Brands on the record since 2022
Every move CryptoLately has verified there, by the day it became public
Moves: The Moves Ledger, CryptoLately's record of verified leadership moves, Oct. 3, 2016 to Oct. 2, 2026.
Read the chart as a table
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| July 21, 2022 | Lau became Chief Business Officer. Alan Lau was named Chief Business Officer of Animoca Brands |
| March 6, 2025 | Quoc became General counsel. Jamii Quoc was named General counsel of Animoca Brands |
| Dec. 15, 2025 | Madden joined the board. John Madden joined the board of Animoca Brands |
| Dec. 15, 2025 | Brickler left the board. David Brickler left the board of Animoca Brands |
20 board appointments on the record in 2025
Board appointments CryptoLately has verified, by year; 2026 through Oct. 2, 2026
- 2025: 20
- 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, 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 | 3 |
| 2020 | 10 |
| 2021 | 10 |
| 2022 | 4 |
| 2023 | 4 |
| 2024 | 6 |
| 2025 | 20 |
| 2026 | 29 |
The move
Yat Siu, co-founder and executive chairman of Animoca Brands, named the appointment and a departure together in one statement. “John has been a trusted member of Animoca Brands since 2019. As company secretary he helped us to navigate complex governance and regulatory issues as we scaled up globally. We are very pleased to welcome him to the board as a non‑executive director and look forward to benefiting even more deeply from his experience in governance, capital markets, and corporate development,” Siu said1. iGaming.org called the appointment a formalization of what it described as "a long-running internal role"2. Madden had already worked closely with the company for six years.
The board changed twice in two days. Madden joined on December 10, 2025. David Brickler resigned the following day, December 11, 20251. iGaming.org tied the two events together directly: “One day after the Madden appointment, non-executive director David Brickler resigned from the board on 11 December 2025 to pursue other business interests”2.
Madden's record before the board seat
Madden worked at Rio Tinto for 24 years. Animoca Brands said his roles there spanned accounting, acquisitions, government relations, construction and taxation1. He later worked mainly with small market capitalization companies, several of which listed on the ASX, the AIM and the London Stock Exchange under his watch. Madden holds a commerce degree from the University of Melbourne. He is also a fellow of CPA Australia and a fellow of the Governance Institute of Australia. iGaming.org added that his Rio Tinto background “aligns closely with Animoca Brands capital structure, international exposure, and partnership-driven model”2.
What to watch
Animoca Brands and Currenc Group suspended their merger discussions on September 22, 2026, according to a headline on Animoca Brands' announcements page1. Madden has listed companies on the ASX, the AIM and the London Stock Exchange. Watch whether Animoca Brands restarts those talks or announces another deal, and whether Madden's name appears among the directors who approve it.
Sources
- Animoca Brands, "Animoca Brands appoints John Madden to board of directors," December 15, 2025, https://www.animocabrands.com/animoca-brands-appoints-john-madden-to-board-of-directors
- iGaming Team, "Animoca Brands Appoints John Madden to Board," iGaming.org, December 15, 2025, https://igaming.org/gaming-news/animoca-brands-appoints-john-madden-to-board/