Margaux Nijkerk

Margaux is a DeFi reporter at CoinDesk, focusing on the rapidly evolving decentralized finance landscape with a particular emphasis on the Ethereum and Solana ecosystems. Prior to that, Margaux was on CoinDesk’s Tech & Protocols team covering the Ethereum protocol and L2s. A graduate of Johns Hopkins and Emory universities, she holds a master’s degree in International Affairs and Economics. She holds BTC and ETH above CoinDesk's disclosure threshold of $1,000.

Margaux Nijkerk

Latest from Margaux Nijkerk


Finance

Kraken’s co-CEO could trust AI with 100% of his crypto — Dragonfly’s Haseeb Qureshi isn’t convinced

At NEARCON 2026, Dragonfly’s Haseeb Qureshi and Kraken co-CEO Arjun Sethi delivered a sharp debate over how soon those agents can be trusted with real money.

Dragonfly Managing Partner Haseeb Qureshi and Kraken co-CEO Arjun Sethi @ NEARCON 2026 (Margaux Nijkerk/ CoinDesk)

Finance

Pantera leads $11.5M round in Based, a Hyperliquid-powered crypto app

The company said the fresh capital will be used to expand into new markets and build out its onchain financial infrastructure.

Paul Veradittakit of Pantera Capital at Consensus Hong Kong 2026 (CoinDesk)

Tech

Robinhood vs. Vitalik: Why the trading app is building it own L2 while Ethereum founder cools on them

Centralized exchanges are moving forward building their own blockchain infrastructure even as the broader Ethereum ecosystem debates its future.

Robinhood's Vlad Tenev speaks at Token2049 in Singapore (Token2049)

Tech

Sam Altman's OpenAI unveils ‘EVMbench’ to test whether AI can keep crypto’s smart contracts safe

Developed with Paradigm, the tool is OpenAI’s attempt to determine whether modern AI systems are up to the task of helping prevent smart contract issues.

Sam Altman

Advertisement

Tech

The Protocol: Zora moves to Solana

Also: EF’s Stańczak to leave ED role, XRPL member-only DEX and Ethereum revives the DAO.

geese, migrate

Finance

Optimism's OP token falls after Base moves away from the network's 'OP stack' in major tech shift

Base launched in 2023 and quickly became one of the most widely used Ethereum layer-2 networks.

Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong speaking to House Speaker Mike Johnson on July 18, 2025. (Jesse Hamilton/CoinDesk)

Tech

From 2016 hack to $150M Endowment: the DAO’s second act focuses on Ethereum security

Ten years after the famous hack, the DAO Security Fund has decided to stake the untouched ETH and use the yield to fund Ethereum security initiatives, honor claims indefinitely, and professionalize governance and key management.

Ethereum Logo

Tech

Ethereum Foundation leadership shake-up: Tomasz Stańczak out as co-executive director

Stańczak came aboard in 2025 after the exit of longtime chief Aya Miyaguchi amid criticism the foundation wasn’t doing enough to push the Ethereum ecosystem.

Tomasz K. Stańczak and Hsiao-Wei Wang

Advertisement

Finance

Sharplink's Lubin and Chalom make their case for ether DATs as prices plunge

At a panel discussion at Consensus Hong Kong 2026 featuring Sharplink Gaming Chairman Joe Lubin and CEO Joseph Chalom, the two executives outlined how digital asset treasuries are evolving into a distinct institutional strategy.

Sharplink CEO Joseph Chalom and Consensys CEO Joe Lubin speaking at Consensus Hong Kong 2026 (CoinDesk)

Finance

Aave labs proposes ‘Aave Will Win’ plan to send 100% of product revenue to DAO

The proposal arrives amid discord within the Aave community over control of the protocol’s brand and key assets.

Photo of Stani Kulechov in 2019 (CoinDesk archive)