BlackRock Exec Moves to SharpLink for Ethereum Maximalism

Joseph Chalom, BlackRock’s Head of Digital Assets Strategy, switched careers to become SharpLink Gaming’s new co-CEO. SharpLink has been an Ethereum treasury firm in recent months, and Chalom wants to “activate” its ETH.

At BlackRock, Chalom helped pioneer the company’s Bitcoin and Ethereum ETFs alongside ETH-based tokenized funds and other products. However, he is an Ethereum maximalist, and SharpLink can better fit into that long-term vision.

BlackRock Exec Moves to SharpLink

Corporate investors worldwide have been investing in Ethereum, with the altcoin representing an attractive alternative to BTC acquisitions.

SharpLink Gaming has participated in the trend since May, becoming a major whale despite the occasional setback.

Today, SharpLink acquired a new co-CEO: Joseph Chalom, a career BlackRock executive.

Chalom has been a BlackRock veteran for 20 years, working as its Global Head of Digital Assets in addition to other related roles. He led the company’s push to establish market dominance over BTC and ETH ETFs, alongside Ethereum-based tokenized funds.

While BlackRock is a major Bitcoin whale, SharpLink represents an outlet for pure ETH maximalism.

In his statement, Chalom made it clear that this maximalism is a direct motivator for his switch from BlackRock to SharpLink.

Although BlackRock is a major ETH investor in its own right, Bitcoin-based products dominate its crypto portfolio.

SharpLink, on the other hand, is laser-focused on Ethereum, acquiring over 360,000 ETH worth approximately $1.34 billion.

The firm went on a buying spree and received fresh institutional backing earlier this month, and its ETH buys alone generated around $354 million in profit.

Now that he’s moved on from BlackRock, Chalom described a few strategies for turbocharging SharpLink’s Ethereum commitments.

Essentially, he wants to make ETH the new foundation of DeFi worldwide, “activating” it through native staking, restaking, and more. As SharpLink’s new co-CEO, he can marshal company resources to achieve this goal.

In the long run, Chalom envisions a world where stablecoins, RWAs, AI agents, and more all fit comfortably into Ethereum’s blockchain. BlackRock has had a significant influence on the ETH ecosystem, but SharpLink will prioritize it long-term.

This kind of bold, trend-setting approach might protect the company from market risks and create fresh opportunities.