Executive Director, Ethereum Foundation

Aya originally became fascinated in the blockchain space for its potential to impact financial inclusion in emerging economies. 

​In early 2013, she joined Kraken and educated the public, VCs, and regulators on cryptocurrencies and blockchain innovation globally as Managing Director Japan. Aya now leads the Ethereum Foundation, which supports projects in the Ethereum ecosystem, including core Ethereum protocol research and development, and educational efforts aimed at further expanding the world’s largest blockchain ecosystem. 

In 2019, she was also appointed to the World Economic Forum’s Blockchain Global Council and named a Board Member of Ethereum Enterprise Alliance.