Daniel Alegre takes over as the new CEO of Yuga Labs

Yuga Labs, the company behind one of the leading non-fungible token (NFT) projects, such as the Bored Ape Yacht Club (BAYC) and CryptoPunks, has appointed Daniel Alegre as the new CEO. Alegre is one of the known veterans in the gaming sector, as he recently served as the President and COO of Activision Blizzard.

Daniel Alegre becomes Yuga Labs CEO

Alegre is joining Yuga Labs at the perfect time as the company is venturing into the Web3 gaming sector. Alegre was a key player at Activision Blizzard, behind the company’s growth in recent years. He was in charge of franchises such as Call of Duty, Candy Crush, and World of Warcraft.

Alegre confirmed his new role on Twitter, saying that he was excited about the new chapter. “Today is my last day as President and COO of Activision Blizzard. Thank you to the incredible teams who create truly epic games. Tomorrow I officially start as CEO of Yuga Labs. Couldn’t be more excited for this next chapter,” he said.

Yuga Labs first announced Alegre’s appointment as the company’s new CEO in December last year. At the time, Alegre had said that the products, partners, and IP at Yuga Labs represented a major opportunity for the company in the metaverse.

However, he is taking over the top role at Yuga Labs when the company is facing a class-action lawsuit filed in December in the United States. The lawsuit claims that Yuga Labs misled investors about the BAYC NFTs and the financial benefits. It also mentions that the company used celebrity promoters to attract more investors.

The co-founder of Yuga Labs, Wylie Aronow, also exited the company in January because of health complications after being diagnosed with congestive heart failure. It is yet to be determined when Aronow will resume his role at the company.

Alegre is a big name in the gaming industry

The appointment of Alegre by Yuga Labs has been hailed as a major move for the NFT and Web3 gaming industry. The co-founder of Illuvium, Kieran Warwick, has hailed this appointment saying that it was a major development for GameFi. Warwick also believes that Web3 gaming will ignite the next crypto bull market.

Alegre has played a significant role in the entertainment, gaming, and technology industry for several years. His LinkedIn profile shows that he worked at Bertelsmann, a German media conglomerate, for nearly six years before leaving the company to join Google.

The executive worked at Google for over 16 years. He held multiple leadership positions, overseeing retail ecosystem engagement, global shopping revenue, and other roles within Latin America and the Asia Pacific region.

Alegre’s appointment, therefore, marks an exciting milestone for Yuga Labs. The company is expanding its presence in the NFT gaming industry, and Alegre will play a crucial role in ensuring its gaming efforts are successful.