LONDON, Oct. 18, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Zilliqa Research Pte. Ltd., developers of the Zilliqa blockchain – a high-performance, high-security and low-fee layer-1 blockchain protocol, today announce the appointment of Mark Hemsley as the company's Chairman of the Board.

Hemsley joins the Zilliqa board of directors following an illustrious corporate career, highlighted by a three-year tenure as President of Cboe Europe and Executive Vice President of Cboe Global Markets, Inc. – one of the world's largest and most prominent exchange holding companies. Hemsley joined Cboe following the Chicago-based company's acquisition of BATS Europe in 2017 – an organisation he was a founding employee of in 2008 and where he served as Chief Executive Officer. During his time at BATS Europe, Hemsley spearheaded the acquisition and integration of Chi-X Europe, a move which established BATS Europe as the continent's leading equities exchange operator.

The move to bring Hemsley into the fold comes as Zilliqa Research prepares to ramp up its efforts towards the long-term transition to Zilliqa 2.0 – the next evolution of the Zilliqa blockchain that will be underpinned by a Proof-of-Stake (PoS) consensus model, designed to make the platform more cost-effective, energy-efficient and attractive to build on for businesses and enterprises.

With an existing portfolio of applications and services underpinned by the Zilliqa blockchain that spans native video games through to decentralised finance (DeFi), the addition of Hemsley to the company's leadership team as it enters its next phase of growth sends another clear signal to major corporates considering their Web3 strategy that Zilliqa is the blockchain of choice to build on.

Speaking on today's announcement, Max Kantelia, co-founder of Zilliqa, said:

"We are delighted to today welcome Mark [Hemsley] to the Zilliqa board as our organisation's Chairman. The leadership that he has exhibited throughout his career together with his track record of building and scaling businesses will no doubt prove a major asset to Zilliqa, as we continue our commitment to providing the best and most innovative layer-1 blockchain protocol available. As we prepare to embark on the next major evolution of the Zilliqa network with Zilliqa 2.0, we are confident that Mark's leadership and experience will play a pivotal role in shaping our future trajectory and solidifying our position as a leading blockchain platform for business."

Commenting on his appointment, incoming Zilliqa Chairman of the Board, Mark Hemsley, said:

"I feel very privileged to be joining the Zilliqa board at such an exciting time, both for the business and for the broader blockchain industry. As blockchain technology continues to mature and become an increasingly important component of businesses, regardless of size or sector, the opportunity to play a role in shaping its future with Zilliqa was one that was too good to pass up. I look forward to joining the rest of the Zilliqa team and helping to guide the business through the transitionary period to Zilliqa 2.0, ensuring that we are in the best position to capitalise on all of the new opportunities this represents."

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About Zilliqa

Zilliqa is a high-performance, high-security and low-fee layer-1 blockchain. Founded in 2017, Zilliqa was developed by a team of global business and industry experts, experienced scientists, leading engineers, financial services specialists, and venture creators. Committed to developing innovative and scalable blockchain solutions with a user-centric approach, Zilliqa is driven by the mission to catalyse and transform digital infrastructures across global communities and industries. Zilliqa's technology has served as the backbone for use cases across the arts, asset securitisation, content creators and the influencer economy, decentralised and open finance, digital advertising, financial services, incentivised marketing, and sports.