Crypto Hiring: Ex-Coinbase pro now leads Uniswap’s legal unit

Also, former legal head at Digital Currency Group joins law firm to expand blockchain capabilities

article-image

rafapress/Shutterstock modified by Blockworks

share

Uniswap has a new chief legal officer, and the legal head at Digital Currency Group has moved on to expand blockchain capabilities at a law firm.

Katherine Minarik joined Uniswap from Coinbase, where she was vice president of legal and deputy general counsel. She is set to replace Marvin Ammori, who held the decentralized exchange’s CLO post since 2020. 

Ammori is set to shift later this year to a part-time role focused on global public policy for DeFi, he said in an X post — adding that he made the decision to spend more time with his young family.

The now former CLO called Minarik the “key architect” of Coinbase’s litigation strategy and noted her background at litigation firm Bartlit Beck. The publicly traded crypto exchange has been entrenched in a legal battle with the Securities and Exchange Commission for a year.

The SEC sent a Wells notice — which typically precedes enforcement actions — to Uniswap in April. The regulator argues the Uniswap protocol is an unregistered securities exchange, Ammori told CNBC — claims the company refutes.   

Read more: SEC signals to Uniswap that enforcement actions are looming

“We articulated our views in our Wells Response filed with the SEC in May,” Ammori said in the X post. “If the SEC does move forward with litigation, we expect to win.”

Speaking of crypto legal professionals moving around, Mike Katz is now a partner at professional services firm Manatt, Phelps & Phillips. 

Katz was previously head of legal for Digital Currency Group. In his new role, the executive is set to help Manatt expand its blockchain capabilities.

He brings a “unique understanding of the legal and business aspects of decentralized finance, blockchain and AI sectors as well as the investments and growth opportunities within,” Manatt CEO Donna Wilson said in a statement.

Other notable developments

  • BitMEX co-founder Arthur Hayes, who is also the chief investment officer at Maelstrom, joined blockchain data infrastructure company Covalent as a strategic adviser. 
  • Shodipo Ayomide, an ex-global head of developer advocacy at Polygon, now leads developer relations at layer-1 data ecosystem Nuklai.
  • Elliott Suthers, the former head of communications at Coinbase, now leads EMEA comms for Tools for Humanity — a contributor to Worldcoin.
  • Blockchain infrastructure firm Paxos cut roughly 20% of its workforce (65 people), The Block reported.

Get the news in your inbox. Explore Blockworks newsletters:

  • Blockworks Daily: The newsletter that helps thousands of investors understand crypto and the markets, by Byron Gilliam.
  • Empire: Start your morning with the top news and analysis to inform your day in crypto.
  • Forward Guidance: Reporting and analysis on the growing intersection of crypto and macroeconomics, policy and finance.
  • 0xResearch: Alpha directly in your inbox. Market highlights, data, degen trade ideas, governance updates, token performance and more.
  • Lightspeed: Built for Solana investors, developers and community members. The latest from one of crypto’s hottest networks.
  • The Drop: For crypto collectors and traders, covering apps, games, memes and more.
Tags

Upcoming Events

Industry City | Brooklyn, NY

TUES - THURS, JUNE 24 - 26, 2025

Permissionless IV serves as the definitive gathering for crypto’s technical founders, developers, and builders to come together and create the future.If you’re ready to shape the future of crypto, Permissionless IV is where it happens.

Old Billingsgate

Mon - Wed, October 13 - 15, 2025

Blockworks’ Digital Asset Summit (DAS) will feature conversations between the builders, allocators, and legislators who will shape the trajectory of the digital asset ecosystem in the US and abroad.

recent research

Research

article-image

Luke Barwikowski took to Twitter to raise awareness about the threats against him and his family

article-image

David Chaum’s ecash in the 90s offers insights into balancing priorities in DeFi today

article-image

The forthcoming stablecoin was praised by BitGo’s Mike Bleshe as an advancement in “institutional-ready digital assets”

article-image

Chronicle’s Niklas Kunkel talked to Blockworks about the raise and why he’s prioritizing research

article-image

Sponsored

DESK isn’t just another trading platform — it’s redefining what’s possible in on-chain trading

article-image

The real strength of tailored AMMs might lie in their capacity to cultivate deeper loyalty and engagement within niche communities