Crypto Hiring: Activision Blizzard Exec Steps Into Yuga Labs CEO Role

A builder of Cardano blockchain nabs ex-Symphony chief operating officer to lead upcoming sidechain

by Ben Strack /
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Source: Shutterstock / rui vale sousa / Anton Lumo, modified by Blockworks

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The chief operating officer at video game company Activision Blizzard will officially step into the CEO role at Yuga Labs tomorrow. 

Yuga Labs is the startup behind Bored Ape Yacht Club. Daniel Alegra is set to join the company after his stint as president of COO and president at Activision Blizzard, which began in April 2020. 

Yuga Labs first revealed Alegra’s upcoming appointment in December, noting he would succeed Nicole Muniz. A company spokesperson declined to comment further.

Before joining Activision Blizzard, Alegre spent 16 years at Google. He served in various leadership roles at the tech giant, ending his tenure there as president of global retail, shopping and payments. 

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Cardano builder nabs leader for upcoming protocol

Software research and development company Input Output Global (IOG) has hired Eran Barak as CEO of its new data-protection protocol. 

Dubbed Midnight, the protocol — currently in development — is set to use zero-knowledge proofs to safeguard personal and commercial data. Expected use cases include financial workflows, healthcare records and supply chain activities, according to the company. 

Midnight will be a sidechain to the Cardano blockchain, for which IOG is a builder. 

Barak was formerly the chief operating officer from 2014 to 2022 at markets technology platform Symphony. He has also worked in senior positions at Amdocs and Thomson Reuters.

Other notable hires

  • Jenna Pilgrim is now head of portfolio growth for CoinFund, an investment firm that holds a portfolio comprising more 100 crypto and web3 ventures. Pilgrim was most recently a managing partner at Canada-based web3 hiring firm Mayflower Strategic.
  • Coin Metrics hired Chris Overton as chief technology officer. It has also appointed Trevor Vale and Gina Rubino as its senior vice president of sales and head of marketing, respectively. 
  • PolySign has brought aboard Charles Ocheret as chief technology officer. The executive, who has held leadership roles as JPMorgan Chase and Deutsche Bank, founded ReadyPosition, a software and consulting solutions provider.  

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