DAG Network AMA maps leadership shakeup, partial centralization, and presale end

DAG Network’s AMA detailed new leadership, pending audits, a centralized launch phase, and conditional BDAG presale and listing timelines.

Summary

• BlockDAG named Nick Vandenberg CEO and Jeremy Harkness CTO, while founder Gurhan Kiziloz said he will step back from day-to-day operations into a funding and oversight role.​
• Harkness said the core network and ASIC mining work in a dev environment, but staking, audits, and full miner distribution remain unfinished as the team targets a late‑January presale close and February listings.​
• The chain is set to launch in a partially centralized mode with closed mining, phased hardware rollout, and a community oversight committee whose governance powers remain undefined.​

DAG Network conducted a public question-and-answer session on December 29, 2025, addressing leadership changes, technical development status, and anticipated launch timelines for its blockchain project, according to statements made during the event.

The cryptocurrency project announced executive leadership changes during the session. Nick Vandenberg was introduced as Chief Executive Officer, while Jeremy Harkness was confirmed as Chief Technology Officer, according to representatives speaking at the AMA.

DAG network expands

Gurhan Kiziloz, identified as the project’s founder, appeared during the session and stated he provided approximately $14 million in initial funding and assembled a technical team for the blockchain’s development. Kiziloz said he would transition from day-to-day operations to a background role focused on funding support and oversight participation.

The founder acknowledged that a previous CEO, Antony Turner, had been appointed in an attempt to separate the project from his earlier ventures, which Kiziloz described as unsuccessful.

Harkness stated the core blockchain network is operational in a development environment with functional ASIC mining capabilities. However, he confirmed that the staking mechanism remains incomplete and third-party audits have not been finalized, according to his remarks during the session.

The project plans to conclude its BDAG token presale on January 26, with a token generation event potentially occurring approximately one week later, followed by exchange listings targeted for early to mid-February, according to statements made during the AMA. Representatives characterized these dates as conditional, dependent on audit completion and technical readiness.

BlockDAG representatives stated that ASIC mining devices, including X10 and X100 units, have not been fully distributed to participants. Kiziloz stated that payments for mining hardware procurement would be completed within the week.

Harkness said the blockchain is expected to launch in a partially centralized configuration, with initial mining conducted on a closed network controlled by the project. Mining access would be expanded after hardware distribution to participants, according to the technical description provided.

The project announced plans to establish an oversight committee including community members. Kiziloz invited two individuals, identified as Reed and Muhammad, to participate in the proposed structure, describing them as long-time contributors to community coordination and technical discussions.

No formal governance framework or decision-making authority for the oversight committee was detailed during the session. Representatives stated additional AMA sessions would be held before the planned launch milestones, with updates expected on audits, mining hardware, and network readiness.