The Crypto Council for Innovation announced on Dec. 13, 2024 that Sheila Warren would step down as its chief executive officer, effective Jan. 6, 20251. CCI's own post called her "the inaugural CEO of CCI." The change came "after three years of distinguished service," the post said. The Block reported the same day that Warren had led the group "through the crypto industry's crashes," regulatory scrutiny from then-SEC Chair Gary Gensler, new legislation, and Bitcoin reaching record highs2.
Four leadership moves at Crypto Council for Innovation on the record since 2022
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. 31, 2022 | Warren became CEO. Sheila Warren was named Chief Executive Officer of Crypto Council for Innovation |
| July 26, 2022 | Jeng became Chief Global Regulatory Officer. Linda Jeng was named Chief Global Regulatory Officer and General Counsel of Crypto Council for Innovation |
| Dec. 13, 2024 | Warren left as CEO. Sheila Warren left as Chief Executive Officer of Crypto Council for Innovation |
| July 24, 2025 | Kim became CEO. Ji Hun Kim was named Chief Executive Officer of Crypto Council for Innovation |
20 CEO exits on the record in 2024
CEO exits CryptoLately has verified, by year; 2026 through Oct. 2, 2026
- 2024: 20
- 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 | 7 |
| 2020 | 9 |
| 2021 | 5 |
| 2022 | 18 |
| 2023 | 11 |
| 2024 | 20 |
| 2025 | 20 |
| 2026 | 18 |
The move
Ji Kim, CCI's incoming president and acting CEO, praised Warren's record in CCI's announcement. “We are immensely grateful to Sheila for her groundbreaking leadership, which has firmly established CCI as a global advocate for the digital asset ecosystem,” Kim said1. The Block's report, drawing on the same release, said Kim would take over as acting chief executive while CCI searched for a permanent replacement2.
Why does a planned exit, announced weeks ahead of the departure date, read differently than an abrupt one? CCI gave Warren's successor a title and a start date in the same post that announced her leaving. The sequence signals a handoff the organization had time to plan1.
Before and after at CCI
Warren had been CCI's only CEO since the group named her to the role in January 2022. The Block's account of her tenure listed four periods she had steered the organization through: market crashes, a regulator's scrutiny, new legislative activity, and a Bitcoin price at record highs2. Kim stepped in as acting CEO with the president title alongside it. CCI's release left that combination unexplained1.
What came next
CCI's search produced a permanent successor within seven months. The organization named Kim, by then its chief legal and policy officer, as chief executive officer on July 24, 2025, a release distributed on PR Newswire said3. That announcement also disclosed CCI had added SoFi as a member. The leadership change arrived folded into a broader membership update.
Sources
- Emily Ekshian, "CCI Announces New President and Acting CEO," Crypto Council for Innovation, Dec. 13, 2024, https://cryptoforinnovation.org/cci-announces-new-president-and-acting-ceo/
- Sarah Wynn, "Crypto Council for Innovation CEO Sheila Warren plans to step down in January," The Block, Dec. 13, 2024, https://www.theblock.co/post/330887/crypto-council-for-innovation-ceo-sheila-warren-plans-to-step-down-in-january
- Crypto Council for Innovation, "CCI Appoints Ji Hun Kim Chief Executive Officer, Adds SoFi as Member," PR Newswire, July 24, 2025, https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/cci-appoints-ji-hun-kim-chief-executive-officer-adds-sofi-as-member-302512861.html