SharpLink Gaming, Inc., one of the world’s largest corporate holders of Ether (“ETH”) and prominent industry advocate of Ethereum adoption, announced the appointment of former BlackRock senior executive Joseph Chalom as its new Co-Chief Executive Officer, effective July 24, 2025. Chalom brings world-class institutional leadership to SharpLink, having spent the past 20 years delivering digital finance innovations at BlackRock, including the launch of the iShares Ethereum Trust (ETHA), the largest Ethereum exchange traded product with over $10 billion in current assets.

Rob Phythian, SharpLink’s current CEO, will transition to the role of President over the next quarter and remain a member of the Company’s Board of Directors.

“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,” stated Joseph Lubin, SharpLink Chairman, Co-Founder of Ethereum and Founder and CEO of Consensys.

“I am joining SharpLink because I see a powerful opportunity to help shape the future of financial infrastructure and decentralized finance,” said Chalom. “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. I’m thrilled to be leading SharpLink into its next phase and harnessing Ethereum’s unique value proposition for our shareholders.”

A Fintech Veteran and Digital Assets Leader

Before joining SharpLink, Chalom served as Managing Director, Head of Strategic Ecosystem Partnerships at BlackRock, where he led the firm’s strategy across the digital assets, data and technology ecosystems. He architected strategic partnerships, including BlackRock’s high-profile partnerships with Nasdaq, Coinbase, Anchorage Digital Bank, BNY Mellon and Circle to drive product innovation and broader institutional adoption.

Over his distinguished 20-year tenure at BlackRock, Chalom held multiple senior leadership roles, including serving as BlackRock’s interim Deputy Chief Operating Officer and the Chief Operating Officer of BlackRock Solutions, the division offering Aladdin, BlackRock’s industry-leading portfolio and risk management platform.

Chalom also formerly served on the boards of Securitize, a leader in tokenized assets and digital transfer agency services; and ClarityAI, a top-tier AI-powered sustainability analytics and data platform. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in International Studies from Johns Hopkins University and a law degree from Columbia University School of Law.

Source: SharpLink Gaming

After 20 years at BlackRock and helping to lead its digital asset strategy, I’m beginning a new chapter:

I’ve joined @SharpLinkGaming as Co-CEO.

Here’s why.

At BlackRock, I helped launch:

– IBIT — world’s largest Bitcoin ETP
– ETHA — world’s largest Ethereum ETP
– BUIDL —…

— Joseph Chalom (@joechalom) July 25, 2025

Chalom said:

After 20 years at BlackRock and helping to lead its digital asset strategy, I’m beginning a new chapter: I’ve joined

as Co-CEO. Here’s why. At BlackRock, I helped launch: – IBIT — world’s largest Bitcoin ETP – ETHA — world’s largest Ethereum ETP – BUIDL — world’s largest tokenized fund (built on Ethereum) We didn’t just talk about digital assets, we bridged TradFi and crypto. Now, I’m joining

, a company led by

and built on a clear belief: That Ethereum is becoming the foundation of global finance. And I couldn’t agree more. Stablecoins, tokenized assets, AI agents, are all moving onchain. And it’s happening on Ethereum. That’s where the future is being built. SharpLink is already one of the largest corporate holders of $ETH. Our goal is not just to hold $ETH, but to activate it, using native staking, restaking, and Ethereum-based yield strategies. All to increase the value of our treasury and create long-term shareholder value. We’re building a bridge between institutional capital and Ethereum-native yield, packaged in a single public equity. The asset is $ETH, the ticker is $SBET.