Moves of 2017
ProtocolsCEO Changes
nChain Group Names Jimmy Nguyen Chief Executive Officer
nChain Group promoted Jimmy Nguyen from chief business officer to chief executive officer on December 5, 2017, as prior CEO Stefan Matthews moved into the chairman's seat.
Markets & VenuesInstitutional Custody & Asset Management
Christopher Giancarlo Lets Bitcoin Futures Self-Certify
The CFTC let CME and Cboe list bitcoin futures on Dec. 1, 2017, and a court cited that market to overturn the SEC's Grayscale denial.
Payments & ConsumerWallets & Consumer Apps
Dieter Shirley and William Entriken Give Each Cat a Deed
Dieter Shirley drafted Ethereum's NFT standard while building a cat game in 2017; William Entriken finished it, and NFT buyers grew 30-fold in 2021.
Payments & ConsumerCEO Changes
SoFi Co-Founder Mike Cagney Resigns as CEO
SoFi's board accepted Mike Cagney's resignation as CEO and director on Sept. 15, 2017, and named Executive Chairman Tom Hutton interim chief executive the same day.
Rules & RiskSecurity & Incident Response
Kim Nilsson Traces Mt. Gox's Missing Bitcoin to BTC-e
WizSec's Kim Nilsson traced stolen Mt. Gox bitcoin to BTC-e and named Alexander Vinnik his chief suspect the day Vinnik's arrest broke.
ProtocolsLayer 1s & Infrastructure
Nick Johnson Makes a Name for Ethereum's Addresses
Nick Johnson's naming registrar went live on May 4, 2017; .eth fees peaked at $55.40 million in 2022, and squatting has trailed it since launch.
Payments & ConsumerCEO Changes
Dash Founder Evan Duffield Steps Back as Chief Executive
Evan Duffield handed the Dash Core Project's top job to Ryan Taylor on April 18, 2017, moving into a senior advisor role years after he started the cryptocurrency network.
Payments & ConsumerCEO Changes
Dash Names Ryan Taylor CEO as Evan Duffield Steps Back
Ryan Taylor became CEO of the Dash Core Project on April 18, 2017, as founder Evan Duffield moved into an advisory role, and Taylor was still Dash's CEO in May 2020.
ProtocolsExecutive Hires
Chain Names Tom Jessop as President
Chain Inc. named Tom Jessop president on April 17, 2017, pulling a 17-year Goldman Sachs veteran into the enterprise blockchain company CEO Adam Ludwin had built since 2014.
Payments & ConsumerBoard Seats
BitPay Elects Carl Stern to Its Board of Directors
BitPay announced on January 31, 2017, that Carl Stern, a former Boston Consulting Group chief executive, had joined its board as the payments company prepared for growth that year.
Payments & ConsumerCEO Changes
SatoshiLabs' Alena Vranova Steps Down as Chief Executive
Alena Vranova left the CEO post at SatoshiLabs effective January 17, 2017, to pursue independent ventures while continuing to work with the Trezor hardware wallet.
Payments & ConsumerCEO Changes
SatoshiLabs Names Marek Palatinus Chief Executive Officer
SatoshiLabs named co-founder Marek Palatinus chief executive officer effective January 17, 2017, succeeding Alena Vranova as the Trezor hardware wallet maker's top leader.
