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.

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.

• 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.

• Allan Marshall: The honcho at Solana treasury company Upexi 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.