MARA Holdings named Nancy Novak an independent director on August 4, 2026, effective August 1, 20261. Six of seven board seats stayed independent. Blockchain.News reported the appointment the same day, August 4, 20262.
29 board appointments on the record in 2026, the most of any year
Board appointments CryptoLately has verified, by year; 2026 through Oct. 2, 2026
- 2026: 29
- 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025
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 |
Trading Venues & Brokerage led board appointments in 2026, with four
Board appointments CryptoLately has verified in 2026, by the sector of the company
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 |
|---|---|
| Trading Venues & Brokerage | 4 |
| Bitcoin & Mining | 4 |
| Institutional Custody & Asset Management | 3 |
| Capital Markets & Treasury | 2 |
The move
Fred Thiel, MARA's chairman and chief executive, explained the pick. “Nancy's deep expertise in hyperscale data centers will provide valuable perspectives as we pursue these opportunities, maximize the long-term value of every megawatt we control and build on the strong foundation of our Bitcoin mining business,” Thiel said1. Novak gave her own reason in the same release. “The next generation of digital infrastructure will require disciplined execution, speed to market and a deep understanding of hyperscale and enterprise customers,” she said. “MARA combines a compelling strategy with unique infrastructure assets, and I'm excited to contribute my experience in data center development and innovation as the Company continues executing that vision”.
Blockchain.News tied the hire to a bigger shift. The outlet linked Novak's arrival to MARA's push to pair Bitcoin mining with hyperscale computing2.
Novak's record before MARA
Novak once served as chief innovation officer of Compass Datacenters, where MARA's release said she led large-scale data center builds for hyperscale and cloud clients1. She also pushed construction innovation and sustainable infrastructure there, the release said. Her career spans more than four decades. Blockchain.News added two more stops: Hensel Phelps and Balfour Beatty, where she oversaw more than $3.5 billion in projects2. She sits on the boards of Sims Limited and Weston Solutions too.
What to watch
MARA's release tied Novak's seat to a plan that pairs power-market partnerships with Bitcoin mining1. A data center deal MARA credits to her would show the board putting her experience at Compass Datacenters, Hensel Phelps and Balfour Beatty to use.
Sources
- MARA Holdings, "MARA Appoints Two New Independent Directors to Board," GlobeNewswire, August 4, 2026, https://ir.mara.com/news-events/press-releases/detail/1426/mara-appoints-two-new-independent-directors-to-board
- Timothy Morano, "MARA (MARA) Adds Energy, Data Center Experts to Board," Blockchain.News, August 4, 2026, https://blockchain.news/news/mara-appoints-hart-novak-independent-directors