Dave Ripley
Overview
Dave Ripley, also known as David Ripley, is co-CEO of Kraken/PaywardPaywardPayward (Payward, Inc.) is the parent company of the cryptocurrency exchange Kraken, founded in July 2011 by Jesse Powell and others and incorporated in Wyoming, United States. Its flagship is Kraken, and its other businesses include the futures brokerage NinjaTrader, the tokenized equities platform xStocks and the index company CF Benchmarks; it serves more than 190 jurisdictions and has been led since October 2024 by co-CEOs Arjun Sethi and Dave Ripley.Open the full entry and a co-founder of Glidera.[1]
Contents10 sections
Key facts
Education and Early Work
A 2007 Kellogg MBA graduate, he worked in Syclo software engineering and product management before joining Boston Consulting Group.[2]
2013Founding Glidera
According to Built to Sell Radio’s interview introduction, Ripley’s interest in Bitcoin led him and a friend to start Glidera in 2013, developing cryptocurrency integration tools. The company entered Techstars and received investment from its advisers.[3]
December 13, 2016Glidera Acquisition
KrakenKrakenKraken is a digital-asset trading platform founded in 2011 by Jesse Powell and Thanh Luu and launched for trading in 2013. As Payward’s flagship brand, it has expanded into spot and derivatives trading, equities, tokenized assets, custody and payments through jurisdiction-specific entities.Open the full entry announced its acquisition of Glidera, where Ripley was co-founder and CEO, for undisclosed terms. Launched in 2015, its service enabled Bitcoin purchases and sales inside wallets through ACH transfers without taking custody of funds; about ten wallets were integrated.[4]
September 21, 2022CEO Succession Plan
Kraken named Ripley, its COO of six years, to succeed Jesse Powell after recruiting a new COO; Powell would become chairman. The company credited Ripley’s tenure with over sixteen acquisitions and expansion of licensing and partnerships.[5]
April 2023Becoming CEO
Kraken’s April 27 announcement confirmed that Ripley became CEO that week and Powell became chairman. The transition followed leadership appointments and launches including Kraken Pro, a new consumer website and an NFT marketplace.[6]
October 30, 2024Co-CEO Structure and Layoffs
Arjun Sethi joined Ripley as co-CEO. A Kraken representative confirmed layoffs to The Block but declined to confirm the reported fifteen-percent figure.[7]
March 2026Institutional Markets
At the New York Kraken Institutional Forum, Ripley advocated embedding security, financial risk and compliance into operations. He expected more banks and brokers to launch crypto services in 2026 and described a hybrid future for traditional finance and crypto; these were his views at the time.[8]
Related Organizations, Websites, and Public Accounts
Kraken: Official website: https://www.kraken.com/ (opens in a new window)[6]
Payward: Official website: https://www.payward.com/ (opens in a new window)[9]
X: Public account: https://x.com/DavidLRipley (opens in a new window)[10]
LinkedInLinkedInLinkedIn is a social networking platform for professionals. It was founded in 2002 by Reid Hoffman and others, launched in 2003, and listed on the New York Stock Exchange in 2011; after Microsoft acquired it for approximately $26.2 billion in 2016, it became a wholly owned Microsoft subsidiary. Its revenue comes from membership subscriptions, advertising, and recruitment solutions.Open the full entry: Public profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidripley/ (opens in a new window)[2]
Sources
- David Ripley (opens in a new window)
- Fintech Speaker Series featuring David Ripley '07 MBA, Co-CEO at Payward, Kraken (opens in a new window)
- Bitcoin – The Investor vs. The Acquirer (opens in a new window)
- Kraken Acquires Glidera (opens in a new window)
- Kraken Announces Leadership Succession Plan (opens in a new window)
- It’s official: Dave Ripley takes the helm as Kraken’s new CEO (opens in a new window)
- Kraken sheds 'organizational layers' as board member Arjun Sethi steps up as co-CEO (opens in a new window)
- Recap: Kraken Institutional Forum – New York, March 2026 (opens in a new window)
- Payward | The future of finance is open (opens in a new window)
- Kraken: The Crypto Native's Powerhouse Exchange | Dave Ripley (opens in a new window)