Share this article
Algorand Foundation Appoints JPMorgan, Nasdaq Alum Staci Warden as CEO
Warden replaces Sean Lee at the payments-focused blockchain.
By Sam Reynolds
Updated May 11, 2023, 7:18 p.m. Published Feb 10, 2022, 2:00 p.m.
Make us preferred on Google
The Algorand Foundation, the Singapore-based entity behind the Algorand protocol, has appointed Staci Warden as CEO with immediate effect.
- Warden has served on the foundation’s board since September 2021, the foundation said in a statement today.
- Prior to Algorand she was an executive director at JPMorgan, running multilateral institution relationships in Europe, Africa, Russia and central Asia, according to her Linkedin profile. She has also worked at Nasdaq, where she oversaw the development of the exchange's listed trading platform for microcap companies, the BBX.
- “By both ratcheting up our global ambitions as well as doubling down on our commitment to the DeFi ecosystem, I know that we will deliver tremendous value for both the Algorand ecosystem as a whole and the end-users it supports,” she said in a statement.
- Current CEO Sean Lee said he is leaving the foundation to explore other career opportunities.
- Algorand, with a promise to improve remittances and payments using its blockchain, has attracted some significant interest from institutional investors. In June Arrington Capital, run by TechCrunch founder Michael Arrington, launched a $100 million fund to build on the Algorand blockchain.
- The Algorand Foundation also launched its own $300 million development fund in September.
- Algorand’s ALGO token was trading at around $1.04 for most of the week, according to CoinGecko, down from a high of $2.30 in mid-September.
STORY CONTINUES BELOW
Don't miss another story.Subscribe to the Crypto Daybook Americas Newsletter today. See all newsletters
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
Coinbase CEO says Big banks now view crypto as an ‘existential’ threat to their business
Brian Armstrong returns from World Economic Forum with message: traditional finance is taking crypto seriously
What to know:
- Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong said a top executive at one of the world’s 10 largest banks told him crypto is now the bank’s “number one priority” and an “existential” issue.
- At Davos, Armstrong highlighted tokenization of assets and stablecoins as major themes, arguing they could broaden access to investments for billions while threatening to bypass traditional banks.
- He described the Trump administration as the most crypto-forward government globally, backing efforts like the CLARITY Act, and predicted that AI agents will increasingly use stablecoins for payments outside conventional banking rails.
Top Stories
