Kraken will continue to invest in the ongoing expansion of its product portfolio, helping clients navigate the crypto landscape no matter where they are in their crypto journey.
Kraken announced the appointment of Dave Ripley as the company’s new CEO.
The leadership succession plan was initially publicized in September 2022. However, with effect from April 27, Ripley takes over from Jesse Powell – who moves to his new role as Chairman of the Board.
Kraken shores up its leadership team
In a blog post, Kraken said since announcing Ripley’s appointment, the leadership team has been working to achieve a smooth transition, ensuring the company is primed for “the next phase of growth under Dave’s leadership.”
This included appointing new senior executives Guy Hirsh as Managing Director for North America, CJ Rinaldi as Chief Compliance Officer, and Dan Ciporin as Board Member to shore up operations for the challenges ahead.
Rolling out new products in the Kraken NFT marketplace and Kraken Pro trading interface. And successfully applying for an Irish Virtual Asset Service Provider license while working toward a Canadian “Restrictive Dealer” registration.
With nearly a decade of crypto industry leadership experience, Dave joined Kraken through its acquisition of Glidera, an award-winning crypto wallet funding service where he was co-founder and CEO. He started his career as a software engineer and product manager, before joining the Boston Consulting Group where he advised executives throughout the financial services industry on top strategic priorities.
Over the past 11 years, Kraken has evolved from a bitcoin exchange into a diverse crypto platform. Products include an extensive suite of trading tools and educational resources, industry-leading staking services, futures trading and an OTC desk. Kraken will soon launch its own NFT marketplace.
Who is Dave Ripley?
Ripley held the Kraken COO position for almost seven years, from October 2016 before the appointment. Previously, he co-founded and was the CEO of blockchain firm Glidera, which Kraken bought out in December 2016.
Kraken is the world’s largest global digital asset platform based on euro volume and liquidity. Globally, Kraken’s client base trades more than 90 digital assets and 7 different fiat currencies, including GBP, EUR, USD, CAD, JPY, CHF and AUD.
Kraken, now 2300+ employees, was founded in 2011 and was one of the first exchanges to offer spot trading with margin, parachain auctions, staking, regulated derivatives and index services. Kraken is trusted by over 8.5 million traders and institutions around the world and offers professional, round-the-clock online support.
Kraken is backed by investors including Tribe Capital, SkyBridge, Hummingbird Ventures, Blockchain Capital, Digital Currency Group, among others.
Kraken markets can be monitored and traded through the Kraken iOS and Android apps, and through the Cryptowatch iOS, Android and Desktop apps.
Before that, Ripley worked as a consultant and project lead. He also has software engineering and development experience.
Commenting, Powell congratulated Ripley, saying it’s a new era for Kraken now. He joked that the Board expects Bitcoin at $100,000 by year-end under his watch.
When asked about his responsibilities as Chairman of the Board, Powell said it’s a non-executive position. But he will still guide the company the best he can, including meeting with Ripley regularly.
