Today, CCI announced that after three years, Sheila Warren is stepping down as the inaugural CEO of CCI. We thank her for her vision and leadership, which established CCI as the leading advocate for the digital asset ecosystem and the first call for policymakers worldwide. During her tenure, she drove global expansion, key partnerships, and the integration of game-changing initiatives. Sheila will remain engaged with CCI as Senior Global Policy Advisor. We are excited to announce that incoming President and Acting CEO Ji Hun K. will lead CCI during this upcoming pivotal and promising year for crypto policy. Ji spearheaded recent legislative and regulatory initiatives, and will continue to execute CCI’s strategy in informing policy around the world. Under his ongoing leadership, CCI looks forward to a busy and exciting 2025 for our members and the industry. https://lnkd.in/d3KfVPXs
It is with a mix of excitement and sadness that I share that I will be stepping down as CCI’s inaugural CEO. I am thrilled to announce that as of 1/6/2025, Ji Hun K., with whom I have partnered closely for the past two years, will be President and Acting CEO of CCI, and I will transition to Senior Global Policy Advisor at CCI. (You’ll have to wait until January for the details about what I’m up to next!) When I became CCI’s first CEO three years ago, it was a different era—before the FTX debacle and just as Gary Gensler’s attacks on the industry were beginning to unfold. I’m incredibly proud of the organization and team we’ve built from the ground up during such turbulent times, and of CCI’s achievements across multiple regions. It’s been demanding work in a tough environment, but policymakers consistently tell me that CCI is the reason they’ve remained open-minded about crypto, even amidst a bear market, crises, and negative press about the industry. During my tenure, we have become the leading voice for the responsible digital asset ecosystem worldwide - standing up CCI at the federal and state levels in the US; driving global expansion to the UK, Europe, Africa and Asia; securing new partnerships for global standards; integrating the Proof of Stake Alliance; and launching The Center for a Digital Future. Most importantly, we have built a world-class team that represents the best of crypto policy and serves as go-to resources for policymakers worldwide. It has been extremely rewarding seeing the vision I articulated years ago come to fruition, and I am thrilled that Ji will carry forward CCI’s legacy of deep expertise, sophistication, and global awareness in his new role. I cannot think of a better person to build on the strong foundation that he helped create, and I am excited to support him in 2025. With Ji's continued leadership, I am confident that CCI will achieve a smart, fit-for-purpose regulatory outcome in Washington, just as we have successfully done - and will continue to do - in nearly every other market where we operate. As our future becomes increasingly digital, the freer movement of value across borders, and systems that prioritize empowerment of users, are imperative. It is an ongoing privilege to speak on behalf of this technology, which I deeply believe is not just exciting but essential. My next chapter will focus on driving innovation and impact on an even greater scale. So this isn’t goodbye—it's just the beginning of a new adventure. There are too many people who have been instrumental to CCI’s success to name here, but in addition to Ji, I want to offer my gratitude specifically to CCI’s Board and members and to Annie Dizon, Senator Cory Gardner, Amanda Russo, and Gillian Reid, who all jumped on this ship very early on when it was basically a bunch of loosely bound planks and a vision, and have stayed aboard with their tremendous talents. How far we’ve come, and how far CCI will go: I can’t wait to see it.