Dave Ripley takes over as Kraken CEO, set on next phase of growth and expansion

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.

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.

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.

 

“The company’s in great hands but, technically, #BTC was > $30k at official time of transition. The Board expects $100k by end of year.”

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.