Vanguard has opened the search for a head of digital assets, creating a senior role to oversee the firm’s strategy for cryptocurrencies and blockchain-based financial technology.
The position, listed in Vanguard Personal Wealth, requires an executive to develop the firm’s digital asset vision, identify business opportunities and lead execution across product, technology, operations, legal and compliance teams. The candidate will also advise senior executives on changes in digital asset markets, represent Vanguard in discussions with regulators and industry groups, and help shape the firm’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 CEO will evaluate, as well as determining whether Vanguard should build new capabilities internally, collaborate with third parties or delay access to certain parts of the market.
The search marks another step in Vanguard’s gradual shift toward digital assets after years of resistance to the sector. The asset manager, which oversees about $10 trillion, remained one of crypto’s biggest institutional skeptics as peers such as BlackRock, Fidelity and Franklin Templeton rolled out spot bitcoin ETFs and other blockchain initiatives.
