BlackRock’s head of digital assets joins Ethereum treasury company SharpLink

SharpLink Gaming, Inc. (Nasdaq: SBET), a leading corporate holder of Ethereum (ETH), has appointed Joseph Chalom, BlackRock’s former Head of Digital Assets Strategy, as its new co-chief executive officer. 

The company, which has grown into one of the biggest corporate holders of ETH, announced the appointment on Friday July 25, 2025.

It’s news that comes as Ethereum looks to hold onto gains amid growing institutional interest. SharpLink Gaming launched its Ethereum treasury bid in May.

SharpLink Gaming taps BlackRock exec as co-CEO

According to SharpLink, Chalom’s appointment as the company’s co-CEO is effective immediately.

The former BlackRock senior executive joins SharpLink Gaming after a distinguished 20-year tenure at BlackRock, where he played a pivotal role in shaping the firm’s digital assets strategy. 

Chalom’s time at the global asset manager saw him spearhead the company’s push for, and eventual rollout of the iShares Ethereum Trust (ETHA).

The US Securities and Exchange Commission approved ETHA and other similar filings as the world’s first Ethereum spot exchange-traded funds in 2024.

ETHA currently tops as the world’s largest with over $10 billion in assets. He also played a key role in the launch of BlackRock’s spot Bitcoin ETF IBIT and tokenized fund BUIDL.

Rob Phythian, SharpLink’s current CEO, will transition to president over the next quarter while remaining on the company’s board of directors. 

In a comment, Joseph Lubin, SharpLink’s chairman and Ethereum co-founder, hailed Chalom’s appointment as a validation of the company’s ETH treasury strategy.

Lubin emphasized the ex-BlackRock exec’s unmatched impact on institutional adoption of digital assets as key for SharpLink.

“Few executives in the world have had the kind of impact Joseph has had in unlocking institutional adoption of digital assets, having pioneered BlackRock’s strategic entry into the space. His decision to join SharpLink is a resounding validation of our ETH treasury strategy and vision for Ethereum to drive profound, transformative change across the global digital economy,” Lubin, also founder and CEO of Consensys, said in a statement.

An opportunity, Chalom says

Among other notable feats Chalom achieved while at Coinbase is his major role in the company’s traction across the digital assets landscape with mega partnerships. Some of the big names include Nasdaq, Coinbase, and Circle. 

Commenting on his appointment at SharpLink Gaming, Chalom noted:

“I am joining SharpLink because I see a powerful opportunity to help shape the future of financial infrastructure and decentralized finance. SharpLink’s commitment to aligning its strategic direction with the Ethereum ecosystem reflects a bold and forward-thinking vision – one that deeply resonates with my passion for digital assets and scaling innovative financial technologies.”

SharpLink Gaming, headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota, has solidified its position as one of the world’s largest publicly-traded companies to adopt Ethereum as its primary treasury reserve asset.

As of July 24, 2025, the company held 360,807 ETH and is set to buy more. The haul currently accounts for 36% of the company’s targeted 1 million ETH.

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