Ethereum Maximalism in Action: BlackRock's Joseph Chalom Joins SharpLink as Co-CEO
Ex-BlackRock digital assets head Joseph Chalom joins SharpLink to turn its $1.3B ETH treasury into a DeFi powerhouse.
In a striking move that underscores the growing divergence within institutional crypto strategies, Joseph Chalom—former Global Head of Digital Assets at BlackRock—has taken the reins as co-CEO of SharpLink Gaming, a firm that now manages one of the largest Ethereum treasuries in the decentralized finance (DeFi) space.
Chalom, a 20-year BlackRock veteran, was instrumental in developing the firm’s Bitcoin and Ethereum ETF products and played a key role in launching tokenized fund offerings tied to the Ethereum network. However, with SharpLink, his ambitions are taking a sharper, more focused turn: building an ETH-first DeFi infrastructure.
SharpLink Gaming has quietly amassed over 360,000 ETH, worth approximately $1.34 billion, since it pivoted to an Ethereum-centric strategy in May 2025. With Chalom on board, the firm is doubling down—not just on ETH as an asset, but as a platform. "I see Ethereum not just as a store of value but as the structural backbone of decentralized finance," Chalom said in his introductory statement.
His strategy aims to "activate" SharpLink’s ETH reserves through native staking, restaking, and more advanced liquidity mechanisms. The company’s recent moves have already netted $354 million in ETH profits, bolstered by fresh institutional backing secured earlier this month.
This appointment also signals a deeper philosophical divide: while BlackRock remains a major Bitcoin whale and continues to prioritize BTC-based products, SharpLink offers a purer Ethereum play, ideal for Chalom’s ideological pivot. His departure from BlackRock speaks volumes about the direction some crypto executives are choosing—prioritizing programmable assets and real-world utility over static store-of-value models.
Chalom envisions an Ethereum-based world where decentralized finance isn’t limited to token speculation but expands to include stablecoins, real-world assets (RWAs), autonomous AI agents, and institutional-grade financial services—all operating natively on-chain.
As co-CEO, he will now guide SharpLink in transforming its ETH treasury into a full-spectrum DeFi engine. For Ethereum maximalists and institutional investors alike, this move may redefine how corporate treasuries participate in crypto infrastructure.
