Business
Riot Blockchain Announces Appointment of Jason Les as CEO and Appointment of New Director
Castle Rock, CO, Feb. 08, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Riot Blockchain, Inc. (NASDAQ: RIOT) ("Riot”, “Riot Blockchain” or the “Company"), one of the few
About this update from Riot Platforms, Inc.
[{"type":"text","content":"Castle Rock, CO, Feb. 08, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Riot Blockchain, Inc. (NASDAQ: RIOT) (\"Riot”, “Riot Blockchain” or the “Company\"), one of the few NASDAQ-listed bitcoin mining companies in the United States, is pleased to announce the appointment of Jason Les as Chief Executive Officer, and that Hannah Cho has been appointed to the Company’s Board of Directors, as an independent director. Mr. Les has been deeply involved with Bitcoin since 2013, with significant experience in both mining and as an engineer studying protocol development and contributing to open-source projects. He has served as an independent director on the Company’s Board of Directors since 2017, and he will continue to remain as a member of the Board of Directors. As CEO, he will be the driving force behind the Company’s strategic focus on Bitcoin mining, and its mission to become one of the most relevant and significant companies supporting the Bitcoin network and greater bitcoin ecosystem. “In early 2020, Riot made the strategic decision to completely focus on expanding its mining capabilities, which has positioned the Company well to take advantage of significant opportunities in the current Bitcoin environment,” said Benjamin Yi, Chairman of the Board of Directors. “Strengthening our management team to take advantage of these opportunities has been a high priority for the Board, and we are pleased to appoint Jason to lead the Company. Having worked closely with Jason as a Board colleague for the past two years, the Board is confident that he will continue to leverage his unique skill set and background in Bitcoin to drive the Company’s continued growth.” “It is a privilege to be asked to serve as Riot’s CEO,” said Jason Les. “We are at an exciting and critical juncture in our industry, with Bitcoin positioned to disrupt the global financial system. In addition, there continues to be a large shift in mining capacity to the United States, creating significant opportunity for the Company. With its fleet of next-generation miners, unique industry relationships, and strong balance sheet, Riot is extremely well-positioned to capitalize on these opportunities that we see in front of us.” Jeff McGonegal who was appointed Chief Executive Officer in early 2019, will return to focus on his long-standing position as Chief Financial Officer, a position held since 2...