- Naveen Mallela leaves JPMorgan’s Kinexys after 11 years.
- He led Kinexys’s payment division and played a key role in the company’s overall growth.
- The departure follows earlier leadership turbulence at Kinexys following the death of Tyrone Lobban.
JPMorgan’s blockchain unit in Singapore is facing another leadership change as Naveen Mallela, the firm’s long-serving crypto and blockchain executive, announced his departure after 11 years at the bank. Mallela has held multiple roles during his tenure, including heading innovation for JPMorgan’s Singapore tech hub. He has also led Kinexys’ payments division since 2020.
Mallela’s exit comes amid ongoing changes at Kinexys, JPMorgan’s blockchain arm. The platform has seen several senior leaders leave following the tragic death of its London-based co-head, Tyron Lobban, last year. Despite the shakeup, the unit continues to expand, with hiring ongoing across its offices in Singapore, London, and the US.
JPMorgan’s Kinexys Faces Leadership Changes
According to a Bloomberg report on Kinexys earlier today, JPMorgan’s blockchain arm is witnessing another major leadership shift. Naveen Mallela, the Singapore-based crypto and blockchain executive, announced his departure after serving the firm for more than a decade.
In his official LinkedIn post, Mallela wrote, “Signing off after a most incredible 11 years at JPMorgan and wanted to profusely thank clients, colleagues and partners for all the success and accomplishments during the time.” Sharing his experience at Kinexys, where he was able to see its growth, he wrote,
“I look back at immense satisfaction at how far Kinexys has come and my co-founders Christine Moy, Tyrone Lobban, Suresh Shetty, Muh Hwa Lee, and John Hunter, and I couldn’t have been more proud of everything Kinexys has become under the inspiring tutelage of the one and only Umar Farooq. Am absolutely certain that my co-head Kara Kennedy and the immense team of colleagues at Kinexys will power it to the next stage of exponential growth.”
Commenting on his career ahead, he added, “Looking forward to make a dent on the piled up unread books over the years as I step into gardening and will let my network know of my new role in a few weeks…”
Notably, Mallela led Kynexys’s payment division and previously served as head of innovation for JPMorgan’s Singapore tech hub. The bank said it plans to announce the new executive to replace Mallela soon.
It is worth noting that Mallela’s departure follows earlier disruptions at Kinexys, including the death of Tyrone Lobban. The remaining co-head, Kara Kennedy, now oversees tokenization projects and blockchain research.
Despite these leadership changes, JPMorgan continues to establish its blockchain arm with new members. Kinexys is actively looking for new members for its offices in Singapore, London, and the US. These developments mark a transition period for Kinexys as it navigates leadership changes while continuing to grow its blockchain and digital asset initiatives.
Revolut Appoints JPMorgan Executive Kuba Fast
Notably, Mallela’s departure comes a week after the resignation of Kuba Fast, a senior executive of JPMorgan. Last week, Fast announced his departure from JPMorgan.
Now, reports say that Revolut has appointed Fast to lead the bank and its Revolut Payments in Lithuania. Fast will also take on the role of Revolut’s CEO for Europe, replacing Joe Heneghan, who has held the position since 2021.
The move is expected to take effect in mid-2026, once regulatory approvals are secured. Fast currently leads JPMorgan UK and Europe. He is leaving this financial giant after seven years.
