US blockchain tech company Marinade Labs has hired Zalika Headley as its first general counsel to help support the company’s broader growth efforts.
Headley joins from digital asset lender BlockFi, where she was associate GC and anti-money laundering officer, responsible for regulatory, compliance and privacy matters.
At Marinade Labs, she will lead the company’s legal and compliance functions and advise on regulatory strategy. She brings more than a decade of legal and compliance expertise across financial services, regulatory agencies and digital assets markets.
Boston-based Marinade Labs develops staking technology for the Solana blockchain network. Investors can use Marinade to earn rewards on their SOL holdings – the Solana network’s native cryptocurrency.
Michael Repetný, co-founder and CEO of Marinade Labs, said: “Bringing Zalika onboard reflects Marinade’s commitment to building the most robust and compliant staking infrastructure for institutions. Her deep experience across digital asset regulation, licensing and enterprise risk management will be instrumental as we continue bridging the gap between decentralised finance and institutional adoption.”
Headley arrives after four-and-a-half years at BlockFi, having initially joined as regulatory counsel, before being promoted to senior counsel and then, latterly, associate GC. Prior to her time at BlockFi, she spent more than two years as counsel at the New York State Department of Financial Services after a short spell as a hearing officer at the Office of Administrative Trials and Hearings.
She also worked at PwC (as a senior associate), JP Morgan (in its legal and compliance department) and the Caribbean Women’s Health Association (as legal counsel).
Headley said: “Marinade is at the forefront of building next-generation staking infrastructure with a clear focus on compliance, security and decentralisation. I’m excited to join this exceptional team and expand its suite of institutional-grade staking solutions, enabling more institutions to engage confidently with the Solana ecosystem.”
In other recent financial services moves, in February, US asset manager Ascensus hired WilmerHail senior counsel and former State Street GC Phillip Gillespie as chief legal officer, replacing Joe Dansky, who announced his departure after 13 years with the business.
Also in February, financial market data provider Octus hired Megan Jones as GC from rival data provider FactSet, its first legal head since rebranding its name from Reorg last year.
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