The current trend of transitioning from blockchain to artificial intelligence is undeniable. Every week, there are reports of companies or individuals leaving the cryptocurrency industry or incorporating AI into their portfolios.
Bitcoin miners are shifting their focus from mining to AI infrastructure, and venture capital firms are now funding AI companies instead of crypto businesses. However, it's unusual for top team members to leave one company and join another in the same vicinity. This is precisely what has happened to the senior marketing team at crypto exchange Coinbase, with several members joining San Francisco-based OpenAI, the creator of ChatGPT, over the course of a year or so.
Although Coinbase has a large marketing team, with around 150 staff members, the departure of six senior roles is notable. The migration of marketing talent began with Sarah Russell, who joined OpenAI as VP of integrated marketing and operations in November 2024, after spending over a year at Coinbase. A month later, Kate Rouch became OpenAI's chief marketing officer, having previously held the same role at Coinbase for three and a half years. Rouch was followed by Elke Karstens, who joined OpenAI as head of international marketing in March 2025, after a brief stint at a paytech startup.
In September, two more transitions occurred: Kaitlin Gianetti became head of integrated marketing management at OpenAI, and Amy Robbins joined as brand insights lead, both having left Coinbase. Most recently, Nina Mogavero joined OpenAI in December 2025 to work in marketing strategy and operations, after spending three years at Coinbase. According to a person familiar with the situation, the exodus was no coincidence, with Kate Rouch being the driving force behind enticing former Coinbase colleagues to join OpenAI. A Coinbase spokesperson downplayed the departures, stating that the marketing team is over 150 people and that the departures are normal.
OpenAI did not respond to requests for comment. The shift from crypto to AI is not limited to the marketing department, as Tom Duff Gordon, former VP of international policy at Coinbase, left to become OpenAI's head of EMEA Policy. Additionally, other Coinbase alumni have joined OpenAI, and the company is not the only one to have attracted Coinbase marketing talent, with AI lab Anthropic also hiring a former Coinbase marketing lead.