SatoshiLabs named co-founder Marek Palatinus chief executive officer effective January 17, 2017. The company said so on its Trezor blog the same day1. He succeeded Alena Vranova, who left the role on the same effective date, the post said. “With Alena leaving the team, Marek Palatinus, the Architect of TREZOR, takes over as the new CEO of SatoshiLabs,” the company wrote. CryptoNinjas reported the promotion within the day2.
Three leadership moves at SatoshiLabs 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 |
|---|---|
| Jan. 17, 2017 | Vranova left as CEO. Alena Vranova left as Chief Executive Officer of SatoshiLabs |
| Jan. 17, 2017 | Palatinus became CEO. Marek Palatinus was named Chief Executive Officer of SatoshiLabs |
| Jan. 12, 2023 | Žák became CEO. Matěj Žák was named Chief Executive Officer of SatoshiLabs |
Three CEO appointments on the record in 2017
CEO appointments CryptoLately has verified, by year
- 2017: 3
- 2016, 2018, 2019, 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 | 4 |
| 2019 | 8 |
| 2020 | 7 |
| 2021 | 6 |
| 2022 | 18 |
| 2023 | 17 |
The move
SatoshiLabs named a founder to the job. “Marek, alongside with Alena and Pavol 'Stick' Rusnak, is the original founder of SatoshiLabs and one of the co-inventors of TREZOR,” the company wrote1. SatoshiLabs named his technical record before his new title. It added that Palatinus “also stands behind the first bitcoin mining pool in the world, Slush Pool, and has co-authored the Stratum mining protocol, as well as many BIPs”.
The company told readers its structure would hold steady under its new CEO. “As the CEO of SatoshiLabs, Marek will take care of the day-to-day business, while continuing to develop TREZOR and TREZOR 2. No other organizational changes are expected,” SatoshiLabs wrote, adding that “the transition has occurred smoothly, with all of the planned projects progressing further, according to the schedule”1. CryptoNinjas reported the same continuity, writing that Palatinus "will officially take over as the new CEO of SatoshiLabs" while the company's existing roadmap held steady2.
Before and after the appointment
SatoshiLabs set out its near-term plan for Palatinus's new leadership in the same announcement. “The main plan for the first half of 2017 is to develop the TREZOR 2 into a full product, ready to ship to you,” the company wrote1. It named the centralization of its services onto the trezor.io domain as a second priority. CryptoNinjas described TREZOR 2 the same way, calling it "a bitcoin hardware wallet" the company meant to bring "into a full product, ready to ship" during 20172. Before the promotion, Palatinus had already built the reputation the company cited: founder of Slush Pool, and a co-author of the Stratum mining protocol.
What came next
Palatinus stepped down as chief executive in January 2023, close to six years after taking the seat from Vranova on January 17, 2017. He handed the role to Matěj Žák, Trezor's chief product officer, Crypto Reporter reported on January 13, 2023, citing the company's own announcement3. Palatinus remained at the company in an advisory post after the handover, the outlet said, continuing to guide what he called the business's "strategic and technical direction". “This new age of enlightenment feels like the perfect opportunity to strengthen and refocus the leadership of Trezor by appointing Matěj as Chief Executive,” Palatinus said of his own exit from the job he took on in January 2017.
Sources
- "Alena Vranova steps down as CEO, Marek Palatinus takes over as the new Chief," Trezor Blog (SatoshiLabs), Jan. 17, 2017, https://blog.trezor.io/alena-vranova-steps-down-as-ceo-marek-palatinus-takes-over-as-the-new-chief-9362f9e7a94e?gi=b7ea234d78b6
- "Alena Vranova steps down as CEO of SatoshiLabs, Marek Palatinus takes over," CryptoNinjas, Jan. 17, 2017, https://www.cryptoninjas.net/2017/01/17/alena-vranova-steps-down-as-ceo-of-satoshilabs-marek-palatinus-takes-over/
- "Trezor appoints Matěj Žák as new Chief Executive Officer," Crypto Reporter, Jan. 13, 2023, https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMilAFBVV95cUxQMU1jTkZSNFRtYWk3UVZUV2Ntekg3cURzTWFBa1NmRk11Zk4wemJpZUFzaExhN2tLYUliaS1VSnpMV1lkM29lVEFFUnFGY0NSQjQwblZzaEpRMWg1V0ZPNDdOSTFUU3c2NzVzQ0VNS2FnUVZnQU0wV3UxUWNKeVBuS0djNGR0b19oR2hTTXg1V3hIUk9Q?oc=5