Dover, Del. – September 15, 2026 -- Algorand Foundation U.S. Inc. has appointed William Herkelrath as Chief Executive Officer, replacing Staci Warden after nearly five years at the helm of the public blockchain network.
Herkelrath takes over as Algorand pushes institutional and post-quantum strategy
Herkelrath officially assumed the CEO role on August 31, bringing two decades of experience across AI, enterprise software, institutional finance, and blockchain infrastructure. He previously co-founded K3 Labs, an AI-first automation platform for agent-managed workflows, and held leadership positions at Chainlink and Curv.
Google's Quantum AI paper cites Algorand more than 30 times
The leadership change arrives as Algorand's post-quantum accounts are already live, built on the network's use of Verifiable Random Function technology and a large ephemeral validator set. Herkelrath said Algorand's position in decentralized post-quantum cryptography gives it an opening to serve as a security partner for institutions rolling out next-generation digital assets amid rising AI and quantum-computing threats.
Board shifts as Fowler joins, Rettig and Mosier depart
Alongside the CEO transition, Algorand added Herkelrath and Alex Fowler, Chief Strategy Officer at Nexus Laboratories, to its Board of Directors. Rebecca Rettig and Michael Mosier are departing the board. Warden, who is stepping down, said the Foundation has demonstrated what a public blockchain can deliver for real-world finance over her nearly five-year tenure.
Herkelrath will work with Algorand's existing leadership team as the organization continues prioritizing institutional adoption and post-quantum resilience.