Copper named Amar Kuchinad its new global chief executive on Monday, October 14, 20241. The digital asset custody firm's own release described Kuchinad as the executive who would drive Copper's "global growth strategy," with a focus on expanding its presence in the United States, Hong Kong and Abu Dhabi.
Two of Copper's 6 leadership moves on the record came in 2024
Leadership moves CryptoLately has verified at Copper, by year
- 2024: 2
- 2022, 2023, 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 | 1 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 2 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 | 3 |
26 CEO appointments on the record in 2024
CEO appointments CryptoLately has verified, by year; 2026 through Oct. 2, 2026
- 2024: 26
- 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 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 appointment
Kuchinad built his career inside finance before crypto. He launched it at Credit Suisse. Goldman Sachs made him a managing director leading U.S. portfolio credit trading, then he served as a senior policy advisor to the Securities and Exchange Commission, Copper's release said1. From there he founded Electronifie, an SEC-registered bond-trading platform. Trumid acquired it in 2017. Kuchinad served as chief strategy officer there, then spent more than four years at investment manager Pretium, the same release said.
He credited the firm's founder for the business he was taking over. “Since its inception, Copper has set the institutional standard for digital assets. This remarkable track record of innovation and growth is testament to Dmitry Tokarev's years of visionary leadership, both as Founder and CEO,” Kuchinad said1. Copper's chairman, Lord Hammond, called the pairing complementary. “His skill sets and experience provide the perfect complement to Dmitry's technical strengths as we deploy our industry-leading technology to support global financial institutions to trade and safeguard digital assets of all kinds,” Hammond said.
The firm he joined
Copper runs ClearLoop, a settlement network for off-exchange digital asset trades. The company called it the largest network of its kind. It processes a monthly average of 20 million trades worth $100 billion, Copper said, counting from the start of 20241. CoinDesk reported that Copper had secured a Trust or Company Service Provider license in Hong Kong in July 2024. That license was part of the same expansion Kuchinad was hired to lead2.
What came next
By August 2026, Copper's valuation had fallen far below its past peak. CoinDesk reported on August 25, 2026, that the firm, once valued at as much as $2.5 billion, was fielding offers around $200 million3. That figure sat far below the $500 million price investment bank Cantor Fitzgerald had been marketing Copper at only months earlier, the report said. Copper had closed its enterprise custody business in 2023 to concentrate on ClearLoop. The firm also faced "challenges related to preferred stock" tied to more than $300 million it had raised in earlier venture rounds, CoinDesk reported. Kuchinad's own tenure as chief executive ended on September 27, 2026, when Copper named Elin Cherry and Sam Goh co-chief executives and moved him to an advisory role4.
Sources
- Copper, "Copper.co appoints Amar Kuchinad as its new Global CEO," Copper, Oct. 14, 2024, https://copper.co/en/insights/company-news/copper-co-appoints-amar-kuchinad-as-its-new-global-ceo
- Will Canny, "Crypto Custodian Copper Appoints Former SEC Advisor Amar Kuchinad as New Global CEO," CoinDesk, Oct. 14, 2024, https://www.coindesk.com/business/2024/10/14/crypto-custodian-copper-appoints-former-sec-advisor-amar-kuchinad-as-new-global-ceo
- Ian Allison, "Crypto custody firm Copper has potential buyers. But offers are way below its $500 million asking price," CoinDesk, Aug. 25, 2026, https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMi4wFBVV95cUxQZi1VVHROeE9nMEU3dXcwR0RLLVJSWmk2WThOMXB3WE5tRUFpOHgxYkI2RGU0WkJSbGFrT29rOXdYUkFuTXkxc0swZ0RSWlhZYlozamZPQnFxWTB1c0N5bDdoaWttaUdzQ3J5Mm9rX2xwX3AwRW03NjV1UFZVRDFydF9pdzgwRzlDd0IzenBIZ1BYcDdpem9RNDUtV2RaN2t6WXFmY1UwMVE2aXg5UV91RmplbGJHS2NTMW50YjBROHU0OEgzMGtkTWdFTkhWMFd5UGw3Uk80cHYwd1h0VC1Hakp2NA
- Crypto Reporter PR, "Copper Announces Leadership Transition and New Management Team for Next Phase of Growth," Crypto Reporter, September 27, 2026, https://www.crypto-reporter.com/press-releases/copper-announces-leadership-transition-and-new-management-team-for-next-phase-of-growth-131879/