CleanSpark named Matt Schultz chief executive officer on August 11, 2025, returning its co-founder to the role he had given up nearly six years earlier, the company said in a securities filing1. The board acted on August 11, the day Zachary Bradford resigned as an officer and director. Schultz, by then the company's executive chairman, described the return in personal terms. “As a founder who has always been actively involved, I care deeply about this company, our people, and our mission,” he said.
The second CEO appointment at CleanSpark on the record since 2019
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 |
|---|---|
| Oct. 9, 2019 | Bradford became CEO. Zach Bradford was named Chief Executive Officer of CleanSpark |
| Oct. 9, 2019 | Schultz left as CEO. Matthew Schultz left as Chief Executive Officer of CleanSpark |
| Aug. 11, 2025 | Bradford left as CEO. Zachary Bradford left as Chief Executive Officer of CleanSpark |
| Aug. 11, 2025 | Schultz became CEO. Matt Schultz was named Chief Executive Officer of CleanSpark |
35 CEO appointments on the record in 2025, the most of any year
CEO appointments CryptoLately has verified, by year; 2026 through Oct. 2, 2026
- 2025: 35
- 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 | 8 |
| 2020 | 7 |
| 2021 | 6 |
| 2022 | 18 |
| 2023 | 17 |
| 2024 | 26 |
| 2025 | 35 |
| 2026 | 18 |
The move
Schultz had co-founded CleanSpark in March 2014 and served as its first CEO before moving to chairman in 20191. The Block, reporting the appointment on August 11, noted that Schultz "co-founded CleanSpark in 2014 and previously served as CEO," while Bradford "had served as the bitcoin miner's chief executive since October 2019"2. Schultz framed his second term around continuity rather than change. “My focus stepping in as CEO is to ensure stability, continuity, and forward momentum during this time, and to support the team and our board as we continue to execute as a market leader,” he said.
Why bring back a founder who had already handed off the CEO job once? Schultz's own account puts the decision on the board rather than on his own ambition. “As we have continued to grow, the board believes that now is the right time for a change in leadership as we look to fully capture opportunities available to CleanSpark,” he said1.
CleanSpark before and after
Schultz took over a company that looked little like the microgrid firm he had first led. By 2025, CleanSpark operated as a Nasdaq-listed bitcoin miner that calls itself "America's Bitcoin Miner," and the filing credited Schultz's earlier tenure with helping raise “billions in capital to fuel the growth of the Company's bitcoin mining business”1. Schultz thanked his predecessor directly. “We thank Zach for his contributions since co-founding CleanSpark alongside me in March 2014 and serving as CEO since October 2019,” he said. "We wish him all the best in his future endeavors". He also pledged continuity on strategy, telling The Block that priorities would stay fixed on "continued execution as a global leader in bitcoin mining" and "data center development monetizing our energy under contract"2.
What came next
Schultz's second term opened with a strong fiscal year already underway. CleanSpark closed the year ended September 30, 2025 with $766.3 million in revenue, up 102 percent from the prior year, and a net income gain of $364.5 million, The Block reported on November 26, 20253. Schultz called the year the moment "CleanSpark achieved operating leverage," pointing to hashrate above 50 exahashes per second and a bitcoin treasury that passed 13,000 BTC that September. He described the company's direction under his renewed leadership as "an exciting new chapter," built around a shift toward AI compute infrastructure alongside bitcoin mining.
Sources
- CleanSpark, Inc., "CleanSpark Appoints Matt Schultz CEO," SEC filing exhibit, Aug. 11, 2025, https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/827876/000095017025106224/clsk-ex99_1.htm
- Jason Shubnell, "CleanSpark founder assumes CEO role following Zachary Bradford's resignation," The Block, Aug. 11, 2025, https://www.theblock.co/post/366377/cleanspark-founder-assumes-ceo-role-following-zachary-bradfords-resignation
- The Block, "Bitcoin miner CleanSpark reports record revenue for FY 2025 amid broader AI shift," Nov. 26, 2025, https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiwwFBVV95cUxQMEJUOUpCQkdPX1FMWUNKRkxOVmo3T3pTWnhkalJra08xRGJyekdJeklTbU9VS3paYnlIWUd2N3p1aHY3UHU5TV9UNUpmaGo3N3RERzllYl9sSEVvV3RJWmtkSldlOExSRFZQS2E1TU9ZWUUzT3ZDX2EtQjNJbUwydnlnV0ZUcmVUbmJjcTdMdjJMXzFCbXJkeVRpalhpc3J0THBnN0RVZ05kbjV0OThNVVZUZXhJYW13YnFyalhseExuVms?oc=5