Ethereum attracts institutional capital, former BlackRock executive joins emerging treasury company

Ethereum, through mechanisms such as staking and re-staking, continues to attract institutional capital as a yield-generating asset. Recently, Joseph Chalom, who has served as an executive at the world's largest asset management company for twenty years, announced his joining of the publicly listed Ethereum treasury company SharpLink Gaming as co-CEO, marking a new chapter in his career.

After joining Chalom, SharpLink Gaming quickly purchased over 77,000 ETH and staked them all. The company currently holds approximately 438,000 ETH, closely following another ETH treasury strategy company, as the two companies compete for the title of "ETH version of MicroStrategy," vying to buy ETH.

Chalom graduated from Johns Hopkins University with a Bachelor's degree in International Affairs and later obtained a Juris Doctor from Columbia Law School. He started his career as a corporate and regulatory legal advisor, having served as a senior attorney in several prestigious law firms, providing legal services to investment banks and large corporations.

In 2005, Chalom joined a large asset management company and transitioned into the fintech sector. He led the productization and external expansion of a global institutional risk control and investment management platform, transforming it from an internal tool into a core fintech hub serving over one trillion dollars in global assets.

In early 2020, Chalom was promoted to Managing Director and Head of Strategic Ecosystem Partnerships, fully responsible for strategic planning and execution in areas such as data, indices, digital assets, and technology ecosystems, and leading collaborations with several leading digital asset infrastructure institutions. Through cross-industry joint ventures, technology integration, and product promotion, the traditional asset management platform is deeply connected with the blockchain ecosystem.

Rob Phythian, founder and CEO of SharpLink Gaming, will gradually transition to the role of president while remaining on the board, leading the company's development alongside Chalom. The chairman of the company stated that Chalom has an exceptional influence in promoting institutional-level digital asset applications, and his joining is a strong endorsement of the company's Ethereum treasury strategy and the vision that "Ethereum will become the global financial infrastructure."

To attract Chalom to join, SharpLink Gaming offers generous compensation, including a high base salary, performance bonuses, restricted stock units, and long-term incentive plans.

Chalom is one of the key figures driving the digital asset strategy. Under his leadership, the company launched the world's largest Bitcoin ETF, currently managing assets exceeding $80 billion, significantly outpacing other competitors. In addition, he also introduced the Ethereum ETF and Ethereum-based tokenized government bond products, providing institutional clients with innovative solutions that combine compliance and liquidity.

The intersection of Chalom and the Ethereum ecosystem can be traced back many years. He participated in blockchain working groups, engaging with industry experts to discuss potential investment opportunities and applications of blockchain technology. In early 2020, he officially began to engage in and promote cryptocurrency asset business, leading the work of the digital assets team.

During the advancement of the cryptocurrency business, Chalom has become a staunch supporter of cryptocurrency and blockchain. In the face of market fluctuations, he stated: "Although cryptocurrencies have gone through a winter, their market value still reaches trillions of dollars. We see that the accelerated development of these technologies has created opportunities as well as improved efficiency."