Former CFTC chairman Giancarlo joins Digital Asset board

As a member of the Board, Giancarlo will provide counsel to Digital Asset’s leadership on strategic matters, namely asset tokenization, distributed ledger technology (DLT) advancement and the regulatory and monetary developments impacting this space.

Mr. Giancarlo served as the 13th Chairman of the CFTC from 2014 to 2019 under Presidents Barack Obama and Donald Trump. Under his leadership, the CFTC published primers on virtual currencies and smart contracts, oversaw the launch of the first bitcoin futures contracts and created LabCFTC as the agency’s stakeholder in the digital evolution of derivatives trading markets. As Chairman of the CFTC, Giancarlo also served as a member of the U.S. Financial Stability Oversight Committee, the President’s Working Group on Financial Markets, and the Executive Board of the International Organization of Securities Commissions.

“We are on the precipice of a digital economic transformation that will necessitate safe and secure ways for businesses to interconnect and share assets,” said Mr. Giancarlo. “Digital Asset is building the future of business – a network that enables organizations around the world to innovate across boundaries, build economic value, all while preserving privacy and minimizing risk. I believe in the power of its mission and its technology to address these challenges. I couldn’t be happier to join the Company’s Board during this exciting time.”

Mr. Giancarlo currently serves as Senior Counsel to the international law firm Willkie Farr & Gallagher, and is a member of several Boards, including Nomura Holdings, Common Securitization Solutions, LLC and The American Financial Exchange, among others. He is also co-founder of the Digital Dollar Project, a non-profit organization dedicated to advancing the exploration of a U.S. Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC).

“We’re thrilled to welcome Chris Giancarlo to our Board,” said Yuval Rooz, Co-Founder and CEO of Digital Asset. “Chris is highly respected across traditional and digital financial markets and is a great addition to our Board. As a renowned blockchain technology advocate and key contributor to the global discourse on digital assets, his insights will be critical to our continued growth and success, particularly as we help our customers navigate the complexities of building seamlessly interconnected businesses.”

Mr. Giancarlo joins Digital Asset’s Board at a pivotal time. In 2021, the Company raised $120 million in a Series D financing round led by private equity firms, 7RIDGE and Eldridge, bringing the total funds raised to over $300 million. Digital Asset also strengthened its position in capital markets, announcing new partnerships with leading market infrastructures and financial institutions, including Goldman Sachs, Deutsche Börse, HKEX, ASX, and Nasdaq, among others. Looking beyond capital markets, Digital Asset expanded its footprint in the Environment, Social and Governance (ESG) space, signing deals with the Bank of International Settlements for green bond issuances and Xpansiv, an ESG-inclusive commodities marketplace.

“Digital Asset is on an exciting trajectory of exponential growth,” said Susan Hauser, Chair of the Board, Digital Asset. “Mr. Giancarlo’s regulatory expertise combined with his knowledge of blockchain, and asset tokenization strategies will bring tremendous value to Digital Asset, our customers and the entire industry. We are delighted to have Mr. Giancarlo join the Board and look forward to working with him as Digital Asset continues its journey towards building the Global Economic Network.”