Blake Janover stopped being chief executive of Janover Inc. on April 7, 2025. GlobeNewswire's April 7, 2025 release named Joseph Onorati the new chairman and CEO. A group of former Kraken executives had bought majority ownership of the company Janover had founded1. The release quoted Janover only as "Director and former CEO." The title change sat inside the same announcement that handed control to the new owners. Cointelegraph reported on April 7, 2025, that the incoming group had bought 728,632 shares of common stock and all 10,000 shares of Series A preferred stock2.
Six leadership moves at DeFi Development Corp since 2025, five in 2025
Leadership moves CryptoLately has verified at DeFi Development Corp, by year
- 2025: 5
- 2026: 1
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 |
|---|---|
| 2025 | 5 |
| 2026 | 1 |
20 CEO exits on the record in 2025
CEO exits 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 | 7 |
| 2020 | 9 |
| 2021 | 5 |
| 2022 | 18 |
| 2023 | 11 |
| 2024 | 20 |
| 2025 | 20 |
| 2026 | 18 |
The move
Janover spoke in the release that announced his own exit. "Their team is exceptional," he said. “I've spent a great deal of time learning the ins and outs of the DeFi ecosystem and find myself incredibly aligned with the vision of the incoming leadership. The Janover SaaS business continues to grow and with fresh resources, the future never looked brighter.”1 His words praised the buyers rather than defended his own record. The release left out what prompted the sale and whether Janover sought it.
DeFi Development Corp before and after
Janover had led the real estate data platform that bore his name. It connected commercial property owners with lenders, GlobeNewswire's release said1. He kept a board seat after the takeover. The release said he would stay involved in daily operations of the SaaS business alongside chief financial officer Bruce Rosenbloom. DeFi Development Corporation, the new name the company soon took, pointed its treasury toward Solana, under a treasury policy its board adopted at the takeover.
What came next
Janover stayed with the company for almost a year after the April 7, 2025 takeover. He left his later post as chief commercial officer under a separation agreement effective March 31, 2026, according to a Form 8-K DeFi Development Corp. filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission3. The filing said the company would pay Janover a lump sum of $692,500 and accelerate the vesting of 70,000 restricted stock units, while he kept his board seat. Onorati remained chairman and chief executive when that filing was made on April 1, 2026, nearly a year after taking Janover's old title.
Sources
- "Crypto Industry Leaders Acquire Majority Ownership of Janover Inc.," GlobeNewswire, April 7, 2025, https://www.nasdaq.com/press-release/crypto-industry-leaders-acquire-majority-ownership-janover-inc-2025-04-07
- Christopher Tepedino, "Former Kraken execs acquire real estate firm Janover, disclose SOL treasury plans," Cointelegraph, April 7, 2025, https://cointelegraph.com/news/janover-price-rises-1000-with-new-crypto-ownership-sol-treasury-plans
- "DeFi Development Corp. Form 8-K, Item 5.02," SEC EDGAR, April 1, 2026, https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1805526/000180552626000009/dfdv-20260331.htm