Vanguard has opened a search for a head of digital assets, creating a senior position that would oversee the company’s strategy for cryptocurrencies and blockchain-based financial technology.
The role, listed at Vanguard Personal Wealth, requires an executive to develop the company’s digital asset vision, identify business opportunities, and lead execution across product, technology, operations, legal, and compliance teams. The candidate will also advise senior management on changes in digital asset markets, represent Vanguard in discussions with regulators and industry groups, and help shape the company’s long-term approach.
It also highlights other areas of the ecosystem, including tokenization, stablecoins, digital wallets, custody, blockchain-enabled settlement and operating models as areas the executive will evaluate, in addition to determining whether Vanguard should develop new capabilities internally, partner with third parties or delay entry into certain parts of the market.
The search marks another step in Vanguard’s gradual shift toward digital assets after years of resisting the sector. The asset manager, which oversees roughly $10 trillion, remained one of the biggest institutional skeptics of cryptocurrencies, while peers such as BlackRock, Fidelity and Franklin Templeton launched spot bitcoin ETFs and other blockchain initiatives.
