Fireblocks fills out its C-suite after layoffs

Elsewhere, Crypto.com has a new OTC trading head

article-image

Fireblocks CEO Michael Shaulov | Permissionless I by Blockworks

share

Fireblocks has tapped Michal Ferguson as its chief marketing officer, just weeks after it appointed Michael Levine as chief financial officer and Maden Gadde as chief customer officer.

Ferguson previously worked at cybersecurity platform Sync, holding the title of head of global demand. Her new role as chief marketing officer at Fireblocks will leave her in charge of ensuring the adoption of counterparty-risk-free infrastructure across retail and institutions.

In a press release reviewed by Blockworks, Ferguson noted that it is a “pivotal time” to be joining the Fireblocks team. 

Read more: Fireblocks debuts latest tool to combat crypto counterparty risk

Ferguson said “the platform’s versatility and commitment to addressing the evolving needs of digital assets’ growing customer base ha[s] enabled it to make massive strides across payments, tokenization and on-chain development.”

These latest C-suite hires come shortly after Fireblocks had cut 3% of its workforce. It did that earlier this year in an attempt to restructure its go-to-market strategy and customer support operations.

Read more: Fireblocks reduces headcount by 3% in the name of efficiency

Crypto.com bolsters OTC desk with ex-Kraken trading lead

Crypto.com has appointed Ryan Fennelly as the head of OTC trading. 

Fennelly was previously a quantitative trader, with experience primarily in capital markets and interest rate trading. He most recently held a position leading the OTC EMEA desk at the centralized exchange Kraken.

At Kraken, Fennelly will be responsible for spearheading its OTC service and improving trading services for the exchange’s clients.

Other notable hiring news

  • A Morgan Stanely alum joined Prometheum as chief financial officer ahead of the company’s trading launch.
  • Richard Teng shared his thoughts on his first 100 days as Binance’s new CEO.
  • Ethereum layer-2, Optimism, hired Amanda Tyler as head of marketing.

Get the news in your inbox. Explore Blockworks newsletters:

  • Blockworks Daily: The newsletter that helps thousands of investors understand crypto and the markets, by Byron Gilliam.
  • Empire: Start your morning with the top news and analysis to inform your day in crypto.
  • Forward Guidance: Reporting and analysis on the growing intersection of crypto and macroeconomics, policy and finance.
  • 0xResearch: Alpha directly in your inbox. Market highlights, data, degen trade ideas, governance updates, token performance and more.
  • Lightspeed: Built for Solana investors, developers and community members. The latest from one of crypto’s hottest networks.
  • The Drop: For crypto collectors and traders, covering apps, games, memes and more.
  • Supply Shock: Tracking Bitcoin’s rise from internet plaything worth less than a penny to global phenomenon disrupting money as we know it.
Tags

Upcoming Events

Industry City | Brooklyn, NY

TUES - THURS, JUNE 24 - 26, 2025

Permissionless IV serves as the definitive gathering for crypto’s technical founders, developers, and builders to come together and create the future.If you’re ready to shape the future of crypto, Permissionless IV is where it happens.

Old Billingsgate

Mon - Wed, October 13 - 15, 2025

Blockworks’ Digital Asset Summit (DAS) will feature conversations between the builders, allocators, and legislators who will shape the trajectory of the digital asset ecosystem in the US and abroad.

recent research

Research Report Templates.jpg

Research

Bluefin possibly stands at an inflection point. The token is near an all-time low yet the protocol’s spot volume market share and derivatives exchange usage have been increasing month over month since its November launch. Given its current market position and the upcoming upgrades (for both Bluefin and SUI), there may be upside potential before the increased supply growth in December. However, strong opposition from existing competitors (like Cetus and Suilend), as well as new entrants (like Aftermath), pose key challenges to Bluefin’s medium-term success.

article-image

Top Committee Democrat Sen. Elizabeth Warren in her opening statement accused Atkins of “helping billionaire CEOs like Sam Bankman-Fried”

article-image

Introducing garbled circuits for enhanced privacy and regulatory compliance

article-image

Ross Ulbricht was a freedom maximalist building freedom tech, powered by Bitcoin

article-image

Solana validators can reap benefits including payments, votes and community clout

article-image

Sponsored

WalletConnect is cementing itself as the essential connectivity layer, ensuring wallets remain the entry point for billions of users

article-image

According to a legal filing, Galaxy Digital helped boost the price of LUNA while quietly selling its tokens