Tiena Sekharan is a finance and technology professional who serves as the Head of Institutions for the Asia-Pacific (APAC) region at the Ethereum Foundation. ^{[1] [2]} She is known for her work bridging traditional finance (TradFi) with the blockchain ecosystem, drawing on extensive experience from major financial institutions and her subsequent specialization in enterprise blockchain solutions. ^[2]​

Education

Sekharan earned a Bachelor of Commerce (B.Com.) from Shri Ram College of Commerce, completing her studies between 2001 and 2004. She later pursued a Master of Business Administration (MBA) at the Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad (IIM Ahmedabad) from 2005 to 2007. During her MBA studies, she participated in an exchange program at the National University of Singapore (NUS) in 2006. ^[2]​

Career

Traditional Finance

Sekharan began her career in traditional finance, holding positions at several prominent investment banks, including Lehman Brothers. ^[1] In 2006, she completed a four-month internship at Merrill Lynch in New York City, where she gained experience across three different desks: Corporate Derivatives, Strategic Investment, and Correlation. ^[2]​

In July 2008, she joined BNP Paribas, where she worked for over eight years in Institutional Equity Sales & Sales Trading, based in both Hong Kong and Mumbai. In this role, her responsibilities included new business development and providing comprehensive client services and advisement to fund managers, including mutual funds, hedge funds, and insurance firms. She was instrumental in developing relationships with clients based in Singapore and Hong Kong and served as a key contact for matters related to the Indian market. She left the firm in July 2016. ^[2]​

Transition to Blockchain and Digital Assets

After a long tenure in traditional finance, Sekharan transitioned into the fintech and blockchain sector. In January 2021, she joined Fintech Advisory Services (FAS) as a Tokenomics Specialist, a role she held for seven months. ^[2]​

Her next role placed her at the center of institutional blockchain development at J.P. Morgan. From July 2021 to November 2023, she worked in Business Development for Onyx Coin Systems, the bank's institutional blockchain division. During her time there, she was part of the Kinexys blockchain team and contributed to the development of products such as the JPM Coin and Tokenized Deposits. ^{[1] [2]}​

Following her time at J.P. Morgan, Sekharan served as the Head of Strategic Reserve Solutions at Chavanette Advisors for one year, from January 2025 to December 2025. ^[2]​

Ethereum Foundation

In January 2026, Sekharan was appointed to a leadership role at the Ethereum Foundation as the Head of Institutions for the Asia-Pacific (APAC) region, a position also referred to as APAC Enterprise Lead. In this capacity, her primary focus is to drive enterprise and institutional adoption of Ethereum to advance the ecosystem's growth and utility throughout the APAC region. ^{[1] [2]}​

Public Engagements

Sekharan is a speaker at industry events focusing on blockchain technology and institutional finance. She is scheduled to speak at the TEAMZ SUMMIT 2026, which will be held from April 7-8, 2026, at Happo-en in Tokyo, Japan. ^[1]​