Opyn’s top minds defect to Coinbase in strategic shift toward onchain derivatives

Andrew Leone and Joe Clark built some of DeFi’s most groundbreaking derivatives. Now, they’re taking that expertise to Coinbase, and the implications for onchain markets could be massive.

On July 11, crypto exchange Coinbase announced it had poached Opyn’s core leadership team, including CEO Andrew Leone and Head of Research Joe Clark, in a talent-focused acquisition that underscores its aggressive push into onchain finance.

The move, framed by Coinbase as a way to accelerate its onchain markets strategy, brings aboard two of DeFi’s most influential derivatives architects, known for pioneering innovations like Power Perpetuals and Squeeth.

While the deal doesn’t include Opyn’s underlying protocol, it marks a clear talent acquisition as Coinbase doubles down on bringing traditional market functionality onto public ledgers.

Coinbase bets big on the architects of DeFi’s derivatives revolution

Unlike previous acquisitions driven by product or protocol expansion, this was a bet on people. According to Coinbase, the decision to onboard Opyn’s top minds was made under its build-buy-partner-invest framework, with the leadership team’s hybrid grasp of DeFi primitives and traditional market mechanics standing out.

Leone and Clark aren’t just engineers. The two are heralded as architects of market structure, having launched some of DeFi’s most novel instruments during Opyn’s experimental run. At Coinbase, they’ll be placed within the institutional Onchain Markets division, tasked with advancing efforts like Verified Pools and contributing to broader onchain exchange infrastructure.

The Opyn team’s move underscores a broader industry reckoning. After navigating regulatory scrutiny, including a 2023 CFTC settlement over unregistered trading, Leone and Clark bring hard-won experience in balancing DeFi’s permissionless ideals with compliance realities.

In its announcement, Opyn framed the transition as a natural evolution, stating, “Coinbase shares our belief that the future of finance is onchain and they are committed to making that a reality.”

This marks Coinbase’s sixth acquisition this year, following strategic grabs like Deribit’s team in May and onchain analytics platform Spindl in January. The pattern is clear: Coinbase is assembling a war chest of niche expertise, betting that the next phase of crypto adoption hinges on seamless integration between centralized trust and decentralized efficiency. As Clark noted, their goal is to build “the connective tissue of finance on immutable public ledgers.”

The implications extend beyond talent. By embedding DeFi-native thinkers like Leone and Clark into its institutional framework, Coinbase is signaling that the future of trading isn’t just onchain, it’s hybrid. For traders, that could mean deeper liquidity and novel products; for competitors, it’s a warning that the exchange isn’t ceding ground to upstarts.