Jimmy Nguyen stepped down as chief executive of nChain on March 7, 2019. nChain's announcement named David Washburn his successor. The release moved Nguyen into the chair of the company's Strategic Advisory Board1.
Five leadership moves at nChain on the record since 2017
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 |
|---|---|
| Dec. 5, 2017 | Nguyen became CEO. Jimmy Nguyen was named Chief Executive Officer of nChain |
| March 7, 2019 | Nguyen left as CEO. Jimmy Nguyen left as Chief Executive Officer of nChain |
| March 7, 2019 | Washburn became CEO. David Washburn was named Chief Executive Officer of nChain |
| Oct. 20, 2021 | Washburn left as CEO. David Washburn left as Chief Executive Officer of nChain |
| Oct. 20, 2021 | Yuksel became CEO. Hakan Yuksel was named Chief Executive Officer of nChain |
Seven CEO exits on the record in 2019
CEO exits CryptoLately has verified, by year
- 2019: 7
- 2016, 2017, 2018, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023
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 |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 2 |
| 2017 | 3 |
| 2018 | 2 |
| 2019 | 7 |
| 2020 | 9 |
| 2021 | 5 |
| 2022 | 18 |
| 2023 | 11 |
The handoff
nChain framed the change as a promotion rather than an exit. The announcement said Nguyen would also serve as founding president of the Bitcoin Association, built to grow Bitcoin SV1. BlockTribune's independent report ran five days later, on March 12, 2019. The report confirmed the same two roles and added that Washburn held a Ph.D. in physiology and biophysics2.
Nguyen spoke about the business he was handing over. “nChain's professional service division has experienced significant growth over the last year, working with clients across financial services,” he said. “With the addition of David Washburn, we are looking to significantly scale and deliver value to all of our clients across the globe”1.
nChain before and after
Nguyen had run nChain for 15 months, since nChain Group named him chief executive on December 5, 20171. He had joined the company as its chief business officer and spent a career before that as an intellectual property and digital technology lawyer. Washburn brought a different resume. BlockTribune reported that he carried more than 15 years of experience in capital markets before taking the CEO job2.
What came next
Nguyen's turn at the Bitcoin Association lasted about three and a half years, from March 2019 to September 2022. CoinGeek reported on June 15, 2022 that Nguyen would leave his role as founding president at the end of September 2022. The association's executive committee credited him as “the driving force behind the establishment and growth of the Bitcoin Association,” working for years to spread the message of Bitcoin SV around the world3. Patrick Prinz, the association's managing director, would lead its team once Nguyen departed, the committee said.
Sources
- "Blockchain innovator nChain appoints David Washburn as CEO," nChain (via CoinGeek), March 7, 2019, https://coingeek.com/blockchain-innovator-nchain-appoints-david-washburn-as-ceo/
- "Blockchain Firm nChain Appoints David Washburn As CEO," BlockTribune, March 12, 2019, https://blocktribune.com/blockchain-firm-nchain-appoints-david-washburn-as-ceo/
- "Founding President Jimmy Nguyen announces departure from Bitcoin Association for BSV," CoinGeek, June 15, 2022, https://coingeek.com/founding-president-jimmy-nguyen-announces-departure-from-bitcoin-association-for-bsv/