SharpLink taps BlackRock’s crypto architect as ETH arms race heats up

SharpLink just upped the ante in the battle for Ethereum’s future. By bringing in Joseph Chalom, the architect behind BlackRock’s $10B Ether ETF, the firm is positioning itself not just as a holder, but as a shaper of institutional crypto adoption.

On July 25, Nasdaq-listed SharpLink Gaming announced the appointment of Joseph Chalom, BlackRock’s former head of strategic ecosystem partnerships, as its new co-CEO.

The move comes just one day after rival BitMine Immersion Technologies disclosed a staggering $2 billion Ethereum holdings, temporarily dethroning SharpLink as the largest corporate Ether (ETH) holder. Chalom, who spent 20 years at BlackRock building its digital assets division and launching the iShares Ethereum Trust will now steer SharpLink’s strategy amid an intensifying competition for Ethereum’s liquid supply.

The institutional architect behind SharpLink’s next phase

Joseph Chalom’s arrival at SharpLink marks a significant shift for the company, as it transitions from passive ETH accumulation to active ecosystem participation. As co-CEO, the BlackRock veteran will oversee SharpLink’s global strategy across public markets and Ethereum-based infrastructure, leveraging his two decades of institutional fintech experience to navigate the company through crypto’s evolving regulatory and financial landscape.

His mandate extends beyond treasury management into staking operations, validator strategies, and potential governance roles within Ethereum’s decentralized framework.

Chalom’s resume reads like a playbook for institutional crypto adoption. During his 20-year BlackRock tenure, he spearheaded the launch of the $10 billion iShares Ethereum Trust, orchestrated key partnerships with Coinbase and BNY Mellon, and served as interim deputy COO of the $9 trillion asset manager.

His board roles at Securitize and ClarityAI demonstrate rare fluency in both tokenization and AI-driven analytics. Chalom’s skills embody what SharpLink will likely deploy as it bridges traditional finance with decentralized systems.

Meanwhile, outgoing CEO Rob Phythian will transition to president, focusing on SharpLink’s gaming division and maintaining board oversight. The handoff suggests a deliberate bifurcation: Chalom steering the ETH strategy while Phythian optimizes legacy operations, a structure echoing Strategy’s dual focus on Bitcoin and enterprise software.

This executive chess match unfolds as corporations increasingly dominate Ethereum’s liquid supply. With BitMine and SharpLink collectively controlling 73% of public companies’ ETH holdings, their strategies could reshape network dynamics.

Where BitMine pursues brute-force accumulation, SharpLink’s Chalom hire suggests a more surgical approach, using institutional credibility to influence Ethereum’s financial infrastructure rather than just its token economics.