SharpLink Hires BlackRock’s Crypto Mastermind as Ethereum Rivalry Reaches Fever Pitch

SharpLink just made a power play—poaching BlackRock’s lead crypto architect in the middle of Ethereum’s scaling wars. Game on.

Why it matters: When institutional heavyweights start trading talent like poker chips, you know the stakes are sky-high. Ethereum’s layer-2 arms race just got a new arms dealer.

The backstory: BlackRock’s digital assets team has been quietly building the plumbing for Wall Street’s crypto future. Now their top engineer is jumping ship to a blockchain startup—right as ETH’s rollup ecosystem explodes.

Between the lines: This isn’t just another hire. It’s a hedge fund-grade bet that infrastructure—not just speculation—will drive the next crypto boom. (Though let’s be real—the speculation isn’t going anywhere.)

The bottom line: When the ‘smart money’ starts chasing smart contracts instead of ETFs, even the cynics should pay attention. Just don’t expect them to admit it over martinis at the country club.

The institutional architect behind SharpLink’s next phase

Joseph Chalom’s arrival at SharpLink marks a significant shift for the company, as it transitions from passive ETH accumulation to active ecosystem participation. As co-CEO, the BlackRock veteran will oversee SharpLink’s global strategy across public markets and Ethereum-based infrastructure, leveraging his two decades of institutional fintech experience to navigate the company through crypto’s evolving regulatory and financial landscape.

His mandate extends beyond treasury management into staking operations, validator strategies, and potential governance roles within Ethereum’s decentralized framework.

Chalom’s resume reads like a playbook for institutional crypto adoption. During his 20-year BlackRock tenure, he spearheaded the launch of the $10 billion iShares Ethereum Trust, orchestrated key partnerships with Coinbase and BNY Mellon, and served as interim deputy COO of the $9 trillion asset manager.

His board roles at Securitize and ClarityAI demonstrate rare fluency in both tokenization and AI-driven analytics. Chalom’s skills embody what SharpLink will likely deploy as it bridges traditional finance with decentralized systems.

“I am joining SharpLink because I see a powerful opportunity to help shape the future of financial infrastructure and decentralized finance,” said Chalom. “SharpLink’s commitment to aligning its strategic direction with the Ethereum ecosystem reflects a bold and forward-thinking vision—one that deeply resonates with my passion for digital assets and scaling innovative financial technologies.”

Meanwhile, outgoing CEO Rob Phythian will transition to president, focusing on SharpLink’s gaming division and maintaining board oversight. The handoff suggests a deliberate bifurcation: Chalom steering the ETH strategy while Phythian optimizes legacy operations, a structure echoing Strategy’s dual focus on Bitcoin and enterprise software.

This executive chess match unfolds as corporations increasingly dominate Ethereum’s liquid supply. With BitMine and SharpLink collectively controlling 73% of public companies’ ETH holdings, their strategies could reshape network dynamics.

Where BitMine pursues brute-force accumulation, SharpLink’s Chalom hire suggests a more surgical approach, using institutional credibility to influence Ethereum’s financial infrastructure rather than just its token economics.