Aptos Labs adds former Grayscale CEO Michael Sonnenshein and OpenAI exec Kevin Weil to advisory board

Blockchain firm Aptos Labs has added former Grayscale Investments CEO Michael Sonnenshein and OpenAI Chief Product Officer Kevin Weil to its advisory board.

Sonnenshein and Weil will help bolster Aptos's growth in artificial intelligence, institutional adoption and other endeavors, according to a release shared with The Block.

Sonnenshein formerly served as an analyst for the banking firms Barclays and Bank of America, as well as an associate at banking giant JP Morgan, before his 10-year tenure at Grayscale. Aptos Labs aims to use Sonnenshein's experience to bring digital assets to mainstream investors, while Weil will leverage his background in OpenAI to incorporate AI into blockchain applications.

"Welcoming Michael and Kevin to our advisory board reflects our rapid growth and signals the tremendous opportunities ahead," Aptos Labs CEO and cofounder Mo Shaikh told The Block. "Their expertise will be vital as we build infrastructure that democratizes DeFi for both institutions and individuals."

Sonnenshein left his role as Grayscale Investments CEO in May of this year to pursue other interests.

Aptos Labs, the developer of the Layer 1 blockchain network Aptos, was founded by former Meta engineers Mo Shaikh and Avery Ching. In 2022 alone, Aptos Labs raised $350 million across two funding rounds.