Solana Foundation Taps Binance Executive for Institutional Growth
Solana Foundation Hires Binance’s Former Global CMO for Institutional Push
The Solana Foundation has added two senior executives from elsewhere in the crypto industry, signaling a renewed focus on expanding its reach with larger partners and institutional users.
Rachel Conlan, previously Binance’s global chief marketing officer, has joined the Solana Foundation as chief strategy officer. In a separate hire, Jamal Raees has been appointed to lead payments after working at Polygon Labs.
The appointments place experienced operators from two of the sector’s better-known organizations into roles tied directly to strategy and transaction-focused adoption. For Solana, payments are a practical use case that connects blockchain infrastructure to real-world activity, while a strategy role can help coordinate partnerships, positioning, and go-to-market efforts across an increasingly competitive ecosystem.
The moves also reflect a broader pattern in crypto: as networks and foundations seek sustained growth, they increasingly recruit executives with experience scaling products and brands, building external relationships, and navigating complex stakeholder environments.
- Conlan joins as chief strategy officer after serving as Binance’s global CMO.
- Raees takes over payments, arriving from Polygon Labs.
Beyond the individual hires, the changes underscore how major blockchain ecosystems are staffing up for the next phase of adoption, where business development, institutional engagement, and payments integration are central priorities.
