Stocks down? No problem for these crypto execs

In a year when cryptocurrency stocks have mostly moonwalked downward, executives at some of the sector’s top firms managed to secure fat compensation packages.
Summary

• Crypto executives secured generous compensation despite falling stock prices.
• Some packages included protections against market declines.
• Activist shareholder Paul Glazer is opposing Pompliano’s M&A/pay package.

According to SEC filings reviewed by Protos.com, several crypto pros enjoyed a bump in pay.

• David Bailey: The CEO of bitcoin treasury company Nakamoto and a noted President Trump ally pulled together a stacked package: signing bonus, consulting fees, stock options, restricted stock units, cash bonuses, and even private jet use — all paid to a company he controls. Meanwhile, Nakamoto’s shares plummeted

• Michael Saylor: The Strategy founder’s fortune grew as well, thanks to Class B stock with enhanced voting rights, options, and convertibles, despite the company’s common stock seeing a significant decline.

• Anthony Pompliano: The podcaster structured a payout that guaranteed him riches even if ProCap’s stock price fell — and it did. One shareholder, Paul Glazer, issued a hostile letter disclosing a 7.7% stake in Columbus Circle Capital Corp. I — the special purpose acquisition company ProCap is seeking to go public by merging with — and said it would vote against the merger “in its present form.”

• Joseph Onorati : DeFi Development Corporation’s CEO receives an annual salary of $574,000 plus a 200% bonus possibility if the company achieves certain milestones.

• Adam Sullivan: Core Scientific’s CEO saw a pay bump while the stock mostly napped, and Solana treasury company Upexi’s Allan Marshall earned a salary plus grants and warrants while shares dropped below the value of its Solana holdings.

In short, while the markets tumbled, crypto executives’ wallets can, indeed, grow fat.