Vanguard, the world’s second-largest asset manager, has started looking for an executive who will build its cryptocurrency strategy from the ground up. According to a job posting published on the company’s careers page on July 6, the role will be responsible for creating a digital asset roadmap for Vanguard’s personal wealth management clients.
For the company, which manages a $12 trillion portfolio, this marks the first example of a senior-level appointment specifically focused on crypto. The posting was listed under job code 179858 and offers a hybrid working model across Vanguard’s Malvern, Dallas, Scottsdale and Charlotte offices.
Executive Will Engage With Regulators
The person hired for the role will work as a senior subject matter expert on digital assets within Vanguard’s personal wealth division. The scope of responsibility will not be limited to product development. Risk management and communication with regulatory authorities will also be part of the job description. According to internal sources, the executive’s main goal will be to build a scalable, end-to-end strategy.
The move stands in contrast to Vanguard’s previous stance on crypto. When spot Bitcoin ETFs launched in January 2024, the company did not allow these products to be traded on its own platform. For a long time, executives described crypto assets as speculative.
Shift Began After New CEO Took Over
The picture changed in December 2025. Vanguard opened its platform to third-party crypto ETFs and mutual funds. The decision gave more than 50 million brokerage clients access to funds that include Bitcoin, Ethereum, XRP and Solana.
Behind this shift was Salim Ramji, who became CEO in July 2024 and was the first person appointed to lead the company from outside Vanguard. Ramji previously ran BlackRock’s iShares unit, which launched the iShares Bitcoin Trust. That fund had reached nearly $54 billion in assets under management as of March 31. Vanguard also became the largest shareholder of Strategy, the biggest Bitcoin treasury company, last year.
No Plan Yet for Its Own ETF
Still, Vanguard has not yet filed for its own crypto ETF. The company’s published investment guidance continues to prioritize assets with transparent cash flows and offers crypto exposure only through third-party products, similar to gold. BlackRock and Fidelity, meanwhile, operate their own spot Bitcoin funds. Competition among issuers has pushed fee rates down to as low as 0.14%.
Client demand is also supported by concrete data. U.S.-based spot Bitcoin ETFs reached $74.37 billion in net assets as of July 2. On the same day, the funds recorded $221.72 million in inflows after a 10-day outflow streak. At the time of writing, total net assets had risen to $77.32 billion.
