Share this article
Bitcoin Miner Riot Blockchain Names Jason Les CEO
Les has served as the board's director since 2017.
By Zack Voell
Updated Dec 10, 2022, 9:29 p.m. Published Feb 9, 2021, 4:37 p.m.
Make us preferred on Google
Nasdaq-listed mining company Riot Blockchainhttps://hashrateindex.com/stocks/riot (RIOT) has named Jason Les as its new CEO after serving as as independent director on Riot's board since 2017.
- In a statement, Les said Riot is "extremely well-positioned" to capitalize on the opportunities in bitcoin mining, given the company's "strong balance sheet" and "fleet of next-generation miners."
- Indeed, Riot has been aggressively expanding its mining capacity and market value, passing $1 billion in late December 2020. The company now has a total market value of over $2.5 billion.
- Les replaces Jeff McGonegal who has served as Riot's CFO since 2003, well before the company pivoted to bitcoin mining. Since 2019, McGonegal also held dual roles as CEO and CFO. With the appointment of Les, McGonegal will return to serving only as CFO.
- Les will remain on Riot's board. The company also named Hannah Cho as a new independent board member.
- Quarterly earnings for the mining company are expected by March 31.
- Riot shares have gained over 140% already in 2021, currently trading just above $40. Bitcoin rallied roughly 50% over the same period.
More For You
KuCoin captured a record share of centralised exchange volume in 2025, with more than $1.25tn traded as its volumes grew faster than the wider crypto market.
What to know:
- KuCoin recorded over $1.25 trillion in total trading volume in 2025, equivalent to an average of roughly $114 billion per month, marking its strongest year on record.
- This performance translated into an all-time high share of centralised exchange volume, as KuCoin’s activity expanded faster than aggregate CEX volumes, which slowed during periods of lower market volatility.
- Spot and derivatives volumes were evenly split, each exceeding $500 billion for the year, signalling broad-based usage rather than reliance on a single product line.
- Altcoins accounted for the majority of trading activity, reinforcing KuCoin’s role as a primary liquidity venue beyond BTC and ETH at a time when majors saw more muted turnover.
- Even as overall crypto volumes softened mid-year, KuCoin maintained elevated baseline activity, indicating structurally higher user engagement rather than short-lived volume spikes.
More For You
Fed rates decision, Tesla earnings, Bybit roadmap: Crypto Week Ahead
Your look at what's coming in the week starting Jan. 26.
What to know:
You are reading Crypto Week Ahead: a comprehensive list of what's coming up in the world of cryptocurrencies and blockchain in the coming days, as well as the major macroeconomic events that will influence digital asset markets. For an updated daily email reminder of what's expected, click here to sign up for Crypto Daybook Americas. You won't want to start your day without it.
Top Stories
