Get to know the minds behind BlockDAG. CEO Antony Turner, CTO Jeremy Harkness, and advisor Dr. Maurice Herlihy are powering the most successful $380M presale of 2025.
In crypto, tech alone isn’t enough. Behind every standout project is a team turning vision into reality. BlockDAG (BDAG), already one of the biggest crypto presale stories of 2025, isn’t just thriving because of what it promises on paper; it’s thriving because of the people making it happen.
With $380 million raised, 2.5 million mobile miners using the X1 app, and over 300 dApps already in development, BlockDAG is gaining momentum fast. At the heart of this growth is a leadership group that blends financial expertise, engineering know-how, and academic strength, a rare combination even among top-tier Layer 1 projects.
Antony Turner is BlockDAG’s founder and CEO. He brings decades of experience from the fintech and crypto world. Before BlockDAG, he was the COO of Spirit Blockchain and also helped launch one of Switzerland’s early crypto index funds. His background gives him the tools to balance fast growth with smart execution.
Instead of flashy marketing, Turner focused on a clear strategy: growing the presale steadily, building serious partnerships, and securing global brand exposure. Under his leadership, BlockDAG teamed up with sports brands like Inter Milan and the Seattle Orcas, helping build strong visibility beyond the usual crypto crowd.
Turner’s method stands out in a space where hype often overshadows substance. His priority has been to deliver structure and scale from day one, making sure BlockDAG had a strong financial foundation before ever launching.
As Chief Technology Officer, Jeremy Harkness brings the engineering power behind BlockDAG’s design. With deep experience in blockchain development, artificial intelligence, and large-scale systems, he’s worked across both startups and large companies. That balance makes him the right fit for a project aiming to grow quickly while staying stable.
Harkness’s focus has been simple: build a network that can scale. BlockDAG’s dual model, combining Proof-of-Work and DAG technology, allows it to handle up to 10 blocks per second. That’s faster than many Layer 1s that have been live for years.
His work has already moved beyond theory. Developers have been able to test and build on the network, proving that the system works before launch. For many watching from the sidelines, this kind of early delivery makes the project feel real, and that’s key for lasting support.
Great ideas need strong foundations, and BlockDAG brought on one of the best to help guide its architecture. Dr. Maurice Herlihy, a respected computer science expert, serves as an advisor to the team. With a Ph.D. from MIT and a teaching background at Carnegie Mellon, his work has shaped the field of distributed computing, the foundation for blockchain tech.
He’s won top honors like the Gödel and Dijkstra Prizes, making him a major voice in the world of decentralized systems. His role with BlockDAG signals a clear message: this project values design based on research, not guesswork. His input gives users and developers added trust in the project’s long-term reliability.
What makes BlockDAG stand out isn’t just the leadership; it’s what they’ve achieved. The presale has already raised $380 million and shows no signs of slowing down. Batch 29 is now live at $0.0276, and over 25.3 billion coins have already been sold. Buyers from the first batch have seen returns of 2,660%, with more growth expected as the price heads toward $0.05 at launch.
More than 19,350 physical miners have been sold, generating over $7.8 million on their own. Meanwhile, over 2.5 million users are mining through the X1 mobile app, creating one of the largest user bases ever seen before a mainnet launch. And with 4,500 developers working on more than 300 apps, the network is growing fast even before it’s fully live.
This isn’t just about buzz; it’s about action. Every batch is selling out quicker than the last, and both everyday buyers and whales are paying close attention. The team’s consistent delivery, smart pacing, and deep experience explain why BlockDAG is dominating the presale charts.
While other projects try to win attention with headlines and influencers, BlockDAG has taken a different path. The team has chosen a quieter, more focused rollout, letting results speak louder than marketing. That strategy is working. The proof lies in the numbers, the products, and the steady presale growth.
Antony Turner brings the discipline of finance. Jeremy Harkness brings tested engineering. Dr. Herlihy brings deep academic insight. Together, they’ve created a project that feels less like a gamble and more like a plan; something rare in early-stage crypto launches.
By the time it goes live, BlockDAG may already have solved the problems that most Layer 1s are still figuring out months after launch. That’s a direct reflection of the team’s forward thinking and detailed execution.
Crypto projects often live or die by their teams. In 2025, where trust matters more than ever, projects with visible, credible leadership have a clear edge. BlockDAG made the choice to lead with people, not just promises, and it’s paying off.
Turner gives it credibility with markets. Harkness gives it strength with builders. Herlihy gives it trust with researchers. This trio has built something most presales only hope for, a foundation built not just on code, but on proven leadership.
Whether or not BlockDAG reaches the projected $1 price, one thing is already clear. With $380 million raised, millions of users, and growing developer traction, BlockDAG’s success is no accident; it’s the result of a team that knows what they’re doing.
