Kamino Appoints Michael Weisz, Co-Founder of Yieldstreet, as CEO

Kamino, a Solana (SOL) -based lending protocol, has been reported by CryptoBriefing to have appointed Michael Weisz, co-founder of alternative investment platform Yieldstreet, as its new Chief Executive Officer (CEO), effective September 15, 2026. Weisz is expected to lead Kamino's expansion into institutional markets and entry into the U.S. market. However, no official announcement has been posted on Kamino's official website or public governance forum regarding the CEO appointment.

Kamino is a decentralized finance (DeFi) protocol operating on Solana that offers lending, borrowing, liquidity provision, and leveraged products. Its official site highlights features such as lending/borrowing, SOL staking yields for leverage, and decentralized exchange (DEX) liquidity provision. Weisz co-founded Yieldstreet, which reported cumulative investment volume exceeding $6 billion (approximately 8.82 trillion KRW) according to its official materials. A 2019 SEC filing listed Weisz as a co-founder and CEO of Yieldstreet.

While the appointment has been reported, Kamino's official confirmation remains pending. The announcement coincides with Kamino's strategic shift from traditional crypto lending toward institutional credit markets and real-world asset (RWA) offerings. A risk report posted on Kamino's governance forum in August 2026 projected total supply at $248 million (approximately 33.4 billion KRW), total debt at $98 million (approximately 13.2 billion KRW), and RWA supply reaching $426.1 million (approximately 57.4 billion KRW), accounting for 17.2% of total supply.

The Commodity Yield vault, launched on August 3, initially set a USDC deposit cap of $25 million (approximately 33.7 billion KRW). Crypto Compass reported that the vault reached its initial limit by August 14, with deposits later recorded at $32 million (approximately 43.1 billion KRW) as of late August. The Commodity Yield vault provides funding for commodity trade finance rather than crypto-backed loans. Kamino's disclosure notes that target returns are not guaranteed and depositors may lose part or all of their funds, with no deposit insurance coverage. Large withdrawal requests could result in delayed withdrawals until loan maturity.

Kamino's institutional products carry a different risk profile compared to crypto collateralized lending. The protocol warns that if funding recovery timelines for commodity trade finance align with withdrawal requests, depositor fund access may be delayed. Expanding into institutional credit markets and RWA products could alter Kamino's capital supply sources and risk exposure from traditional crypto lending. However, no specific metrics linking the executive appointment or product expansion to actual business performance have been provided. If Weisz's CEO role is formally confirmed, Kamino's focus on institutional market growth and U.S. market entry will likely be prioritized, though concrete timelines and scales for U.S. expansion remain undisclosed.