Marinade Labs, the development company behind Solana’s first non-custodial liquid and native staking protocol, announced the appointment of Zalika Headley as General Counsel. Headley brings over a decade of legal and compliance expertise across financial services, regulatory agencies, and digital asset markets. In her new role, she will lead Marinade’s legal efforts, be the compliance officer, and advise on regulatory strategy, as the company scales to become the premier institutional staking provider in the Solana ecosystem.
Most recently, Headley served as Associate General Counsel and AML Officer at BlockFi, where she advised on regulatory, compliance, and privacy matters across global jurisdictions, including direct engagement with the U.S., U.K., and Singaporean regulators. Over her tenure, she helped design legal frameworks supporting cross-border product launches, managed licensing obligations, and oversaw responses to inquiries from multiple regulators.
Prior to BlockFi, Headley served as Counsel at the New York State Department of Financial Services (NYDFS), where she led the chartering process for digital asset custodians and advised on emerging cryptocurrency policy. At NYDFS, she worked directly with BitLicense applicants, evaluated new digital asset product proposals, and coordinated with federal and state regulators on complex fintech and blockchain issues. Earlier in her career, she held senior compliance roles at PwC and JPMorgan Chase, specializing in anti-money laundering (AML), BSA/Patriot Act compliance, financial supervision, and regulatory gap analysis across large financial institutions.
“Bringing Zalika onboard reflects Marinade’s commitment to building the most robust and compliant staking infrastructure for institutions,” said Michael Repetný, Co-Founder & CEO of Marinade Labs. “Her deep experience across digital asset regulation, licensing, and enterprise risk management will be instrumental as we continue bridging the gap between decentralized finance and institutional adoption.”
“Marinade is at the forefront of building next-generation staking infrastructure with a clear focus on compliance, security, and decentralization,” said Zalika Headley, incoming General Counsel at Marinade Labs. “I’m excited to join this exceptional team and expand its suite of institutional-grade staking solutions, enabling more institutions to engage confidently with the Solana ecosystem.”
Headley’s appointment comes at a pivotal time for Marinade. With the recent launch of Marinade Select, a compliance-first staking marketplace designed for institutional investors, and strategic partnerships with BitGo, Copper, and Zodia, Marinade is actively expanding its product offering while driving institutional adoption on Solana. Marinade Select was also the first staking provider to ever be named in a Solana ETF filing, serving as the exclusive provider for the Canary Marinade Solana ETF. The addition of a seasoned legal leader further strengthens Marinade’s position as a trusted partner for secure, compliant access to Solana staking.