In Brief:
- The “crypto dad” resigned as a member of the board after 4 months.
- Christopher Giancarlo will continue to provide strategic counsel to the firm in an advisory role.
In an announcement on Wednesday, BlockFi said that Ellen-Blair Chube will join its Board of Directors. The William Blair & Company MD and client service officer will replace Christopher Giancarlo who is also known as “Crypto Dad”. Ellen also was Vice President and Chief of Staff to the Chairman and CEO at Ariel Investments.
“I was immediately struck by the caliber of leadership and strength of retail and institutional product offering at BlockFi. So many of the crypto-firsts have been pioneered by this organization, and I am excited to count myself as part of the Board that will support BlockFi’s mission of financial inclusion, continued innovation, and the next tranche of industry firsts that are to come,” said Ms. Chube.
BlockFi founder and CEO Zac Prince accounted for Chube’s “strong financial services experience married with her deep knowledge of the public sector” in bringing her on as a board member. Prince added that Giancarlo would contribute in an informal capacity as an advisor.
Christopher Giancarlo also served as a chairman at Commodity Futures Trading Commission for about 5 years. Many in the space regard him as an ally to the crypto and blockchain industry.
It is unclear why Crypto Dad is leaving the firm’s board. Although, the blog post specifies that he will continue to advise the group on digital assets.
Also Read: BlockFi Unites with TaxBit on New Tax Center for US Clients
“I’m looking forward to continuing to advise this impressive group of leaders as they work to bridge the worlds of traditional finance and blockchain technology,” said Giancarlo. “I know that as crypto assets take a more prominent role in both retail and institutional investors’ strategies, BlockFi will be there to lead the way.”
