Yuga Labs, a leading player in the web3 space and creators of Bored Ape Yacht Club, has announced that Daniel Alegre will become its new CEO in the first half of 2023. The announcement was made early this morning, only a few days after Alegre revealed he was stepping down from his current position as COO and President of Activision Blizzard.

“Nicole, Greg, and I have been on the hunt for someone with Daniel’s skill set for some time. The business, our ambitions, and the complexity of the work have grown beyond our wildest expectations. We are thrilled to have him join the team to help with our vision of a truly interoperable metaverse. Daniel has held one of the highest level roles at one of the largest gaming companies in the world. He brings valuable experience across entertainment, e-commerce, and global strategic partnerships – all of which are critical aspects of an immersive web3 world built by creators and for creators,” said Yuga Labs co-founder Wylie Aronow.

Nicole Muniz, a partner and strategic advisor at Yuga Labs who joined Yuga Labs as CEO in September 2021, will remain with the company and continue to work closely with the team.

“When I was first asked to advise Yuga Labs, I could tell right away that they had a fresh and exciting approach to building communities. I’ve always had a passion for helping set early-stage companies up for success and the growth we’ve achieved at Yuga over the last year has been incredible. I look forward to continuing to help from the sidelines as a partner and advisor. I am thrilled that we found Daniel to keep up the momentum and bring his gaming expertise to hugely ambitious projects like Otherside,” said Nicole Muniz.

As former President and Chief Operating Officer of Activision Blizzard, Alegre has brought huge franchises such as Call of Duty, World of Warcraft, Diablo, Overwatch, and Candy Crush to a global audience. Before this role, Alegre spent over 16 years at Google, where he held various leadership positions, including President of Global and Strategic Partnerships, President of Shopping and Payments, and President of Asia Pacific and Latin America. Under Alegre’s guidance, Activision Blizzard has continued to thrive and expand its reach in the gaming industry.

“Since exploding onto the scene with Bored Ape Yacht Club in 2021, Yuga Labs has quickly made a name for itself through a powerful combination of storytelling and community-building,” said Alegre. “The company’s pipeline of products, partnerships, and IP represents a massive opportunity to define the metaverse in a way that empowers creators and provides users with true ownership of their identity and digital assets. I look forward to working with the passionate, creative team at Yuga to innovate, inspire, and shape the future of the internet together.”

Yuga Labs, founded less than two years ago, has made a name for itself in the web3 space with various innovative projects, including the ambitious Otherside. The company is committed to pushing the boundaries of what is possible with NFT technology and gaming as they keep it’s community updated on its exciting work.

Jumping right into the NFT world and PFP identities, Alegre chooses Mutant Ape #3850 as his PFP in the BAYC Community.

@YugaLabs — home of @boredapeyc, @othersidemeta, @cryptopunksnfts, and more — is a creative powerhouse driving innovation and storytelling in Web3. I am extremely excited to lead the team to the next phase of growth. https://t.co/hS6O9DKhUT

— Daniel Alegre (@dalegre) December 19, 2022

“We have a clear vision of how Yuga can continue to lead in web3, and we’re unshakeable in our conviction of how NFTs will reinvigorate the gaming, entertainment, and lifestyle industries while opening up a space of possibility we can’t conceive of yet,” said the Yuga Labs team in a statement.

Alegre’s appointment as CEO is a strategic move for Yuga Labs as it looks to take on giants in the metaverse space and continue its rapid growth. With his expertise in building global gaming franchises and track record of success at major tech companies, Alegre is well-positioned to lead the company to even greater heights.

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