The Algorand Foundation Announces Staci Warden as New CEO

SINGAPORE, Feb. 10, 2022 /CNW/ -- The Algorand Foundation today announced the appointment of Staci Warden as its Chief Executive Officer. Warden, who has served on the Algorand Foundation's Board since September 2021, steps into the additional role of CEO effective today.

Warden has led global teams at the Milken Institute, JP Morgan, the Nasdaq stock exchange, and the U.S. Treasury Department. Her appointment marks the next step in the Algorand Foundation's mission to catalyze the growth of the Algorand ecosystem. The year 2022 will be a key year in the development of both the Algorand network and wider crypto ecosystems, as the adoption of key crypto-based industries such as global crypto payment platforms, DeFi and NFTs rapidly accelerates. The Foundation is committed to ensuring that the Algorand blockchain network is a key building block of this new, emergent digital-first economic model. At the same time, it will work to ensure that this new economy is inclusive and that the  financial benefits of blockchain technology are  accessible to everyone in the world.

"I am excited to build on everything the Foundation has achieved to date, and will be focused on scaling our commitment to our community and our global partners," said Warden. "1.7 billion people in the world do not have access to finance, and the Algorand protocol has the speed, the security, and the decentralization to address the problem of global financial inclusion at scale. 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."

Having spent over 18 critical months in the role of CEO, Sean Lee has decided to begin the new year exploring career opportunities outside of the Algorand Foundation. Lee led the Foundation through an important period, where he delivered economic stability with the completion of the Accelerated Vesting program, led the launch of key ecosystem funding programs such as the Viridis and Aeneas DeFi Funds, and most importantly, the launch of Community Governance in the final quarter of 2021.

"I've decided to leave the Algorand Foundation to pursue new opportunities in the blockchain space. Seeing the transformative potential of the applications being built on Algorand, now is the time for me to explore those avenues; and I have deep confidence in Staci's ability to lead the Algorand Foundation and the Algorand ecosystem through its next growth phase," said Lee.

Kieron Guilfoyle, the Algorand Foundation's Board Chairman said, "On behalf of the Board, I want to thank Sean for his leadership and hard work over the past years. Sean stepped in at a critical time, and we are grateful for his outstanding contribution to the growth of the Algorand Foundation's ecosystem."

Guilfoyle noted, "Staci understands the potential for Algorand to become a dominant Layer One blockchain, and she has the experience and expertise to drive our global efforts to scale and to deliver outstanding value to our community. I know she will waste no time in shifting the Algorand Foundation into its expansion phase."

About Staci Warden

Prior to joining the Board of the Algorand Foundation, Staci ran the Global Market Development practice at the Milken Institute, where she led its work on capital market development, crypto/blockchain solutions, and innovative finance to promote the sustainable development goals. Prior to Milken, Staci ran JPMorgan's EMEA public sector practice out of London. Before JPMorgan, she led the Nasdaq's two markets for microcap companies, and in the public and non-profit sectors had senior roles at the U.S. Treasury Department, the Center for Global Development, and the Harvard Institute for International Development.

Staci has done business in more than 50 countries and has advised and spoken widely on the potential for cryptocurrencies and blockchain to solve real-world problems, and for financial innovation to improve inclusion and reduce global poverty. In addition to the Algorand Foundation, she sits on the Boards of the Global Blockchain Business Council, the Rwandan Capital Market Authority, and the Energy for Growth Hub.  She also serves on the advisory committees of the United Nations Capital Development Fund (UNCDF), the European Parliament's Science and Technology Committee (STOA), the U.S. Financial Technology Association, and Evolution Environmental Asset Management.

About the Algorand Foundation

The Algorand Foundation is dedicated to fulfilling the global promise of blockchain technology by leveraging the Algorand protocol and open-source software, initially designed by Silvio Micali and a team of leading scientists. With core beliefs in the establishment of an open, public, and permissionless blockchain, the Algorand Foundation has a vision for an inclusive ecosystem that provides an opportunity for everyone to harness the potential of an equitable and truly borderless economy.

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SOURCE Algorand Foundation