1inch co-founder Bukov: fired in Nov 2025, starts Second Tier

Anton Bukov, co-founder of decentralized exchange aggregator 1inch, said he was fired in November 2025 and has launched a new project called Second Tier. He said he retains a 50% ownership stake in 1inch.

In a post on X, Bukov wrote he was dismissed after pushing for changes to the company’s management and operations. He added that while he remains a co-owner he no longer participates in day-to-day operations or decisions on product architecture and security. “I no longer take part in the company’s operations,” Bukov wrote. “And, most importantly, I have no role in its product architecture or its security, and no oversight of either.”

The company posted on X that Bukov “had not been actively involved in any associated organizations” related to the project since December 2025, which presents a different timeline for when he stepped back from active roles.

Sergej Kunz, who co-founded 1inch with Bukov in May 2019 and remains in charge, posted that the change “is not disrupting, will not disrupt, 1inch Network’s infrastructure or systems.” Kunz’s post addressed the platform’s stability following the change in operational involvement.

Bukov described Second Tier as his next venture in the crypto sector but provided limited public details about its structure, objectives or launch schedule. He framed the new project as a continuation of his work after exiting operational duties at 1inch.

1inch is a decentralized exchange aggregator that routes trades across multiple liquidity sources. Bukov co-founded the platform with Kunz in May 2019. The differing statements from Bukov and the company leave unresolved questions about the timing and nature of his departure from active roles at 1inch.