21.co today announced the company’s new operating structure.
21.co’s operating structure will transition from one fully integrated business to two, separated core business units – 21Shares and 21.co Technologies. 21.co remains the Holding Company of both 21Shares and 21.co Technologies.
The separation of 21Shares and 21.co Technologies allows each entity to focus on its strengths and to more easily meet their individual business goals.
21Shares will remain focused on asset management and bringing the most relevant and high quality ETPs to market. In addition, 21Shares will be better able to capitalize on investor interest worldwide in an increasingly favorable regulatory environment, paving the way for significant opportunity across retail, professional and institutional investors.
21.co Technologies will focus on developing next-generation products and tools, such as tokenized assets, smart contracts and risk management, offering on-chain solutions tailored to institutional clients.
Effective 6 January 2025, Co-Founders Hany Rashwan and Ophelia Snyder will become co-chairs of 21Shares and, following a reasonable transition period, will dedicate their executive time and attention to 21.co Technologies as the CEO and President of that entity, respectively. In addition, Hany and Ophelia will remain CEO and President, respectively, of 21.co, the Holding Company of 21Shares and 21.co Technologies.
Russell Barlow will join 21Shares as Chief Executive Officer, overseeing the asset management and ETP business worldwide and reporting directly to Co-Chairs Hany Rashwan and Ophelia Snyder. Russell Barlow brings 25 years of experience in regulated asset management.
Duncan Moir will join as President of 21Shares. Previously at abrdn where he led the company’s crypto and blockchain strategy, Duncan Moir brings a deep understanding of the crypto space and experience in working with institutional investors.
Further, Edel Bashir will take on the role of COO of 21Shares, bringing with her a deep expertise in managing complex operations. Previously, Edel Bashir was COO for Alternative and Multi-Asset Investments at abrdn, focused on streamlining operations and improving efficiency.
Andres Valencia a longstanding member of 21Shares, will become Executive Vice President of Investment Management. Andres Valencia has been instrumental in managing and expanding 21Shares’ ETP offerings, drawing on his deep understanding of trading operations and fund management to support growth in a fast-evolving market.
“This transition formalizes a structure we’ve been building toward over the past year, allowing each division to grow independently,” said Hany Rashwan, co-founder of 21Shares. “With dedicated leadership in place for both asset management and technology, we’re setting up 21Shares and 21.co Technologies for even greater success.”
