Vanguard is Hiring for Its First Head of Digital Assets, Signaling a Shift From Its Crypto-Skeptic Past

Vanguard, the roughly $10 trillion asset manager that spent years as one of crypto’s most prominent institutional skeptics, has opened a search for its first-ever head of digital assets. The role, posted Monday within Vanguard’s Personal Wealth division, signals a broader reassessment of a sector the firm long avoided.

According to the job listing, the executive will lead Vanguard’s digital assets strategy, roadmap, and enterprise execution, and serve as its senior subject matter expert on tokenization, stablecoins, custody models, and blockchain-based settlement. The hire would also represent Vanguard in discussions with regulators and industry groups and help shape the firm’s long-term posture.

The search offers an additional indication that Vanguard is softening its stance on crypto. It comes after the company late last year started allowing brokerage clients to trade crypto ETFs. It initially blocked spot Bitcoin ETFs from its brokerage platform when they launched in January 2024, as its executives repeatedly characterized crypto as inconsistent with a long-term investment philosophy.

While Vanguard has stayed on the sidelines, rivals have dived in. BlackRock, Fidelity, and Franklin Templeton all rolled out spot Bitcoin ETFs after the SEC approved them in 2024.

The recent shifts follow the appointment of Salim Ramji as Vanguard CEO in July 2024. Before joining Vanguard, Ramji ran BlackRock’s iShares unit, where he helped launch the iShares Bitcoin Trust, the largest spot Bitcoin ETF.

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