Key Takeaways:
- Mysten Labs Co-founder and CTO Sam Blackshear has exited to join Anthropic to work on defensive AI security research.
- Blackshear will remain an advisor to Mysten Labs and continue supporting the Sui ecosystem and the upcoming Move Foundation.
- Mysten CEO Evan Cheng will take over the company’s technical vision while Sui development continues under existing leadership.
Co-founder and chief technology officer Sam Blackshear is leaving Mysten Labs to join AI firm Anthropic. This change in leadership signals a broader trend of AI’s integration into the cryptocurrency world, particularly with cybersecurity.
Mysten Labs Co-Founder Moves Into AI Security
Blackshear added that he will be tackling defensive security research in his new position at Anthropic, which he said has grown in significance as AI has become a key way to package the attacks.
His statement says taking on a challenge that brings him the greatest enjoyment: solving difficult tech questions in new technology spaces. He also pointed out that attackers are getting more advanced, using AI powered tools, and thus more sophisticated defence research is a growing necessity.
I am leaving Mysten Labs and joining Anthropic to work on defensive security research.
— Sam Blackshear (@b1ackd0g) August 5, 2026
Instead, Blackshear has confirmed that he’ll be sticking around as a close advisor for Sui builders and will continue to exist with Mysten Labs as well.
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Leadership Transition Keeps Sui Development on Track
In the announcement, company co-founder and CEO Evan Cheng will spearhead the long-term technical direction of the project as a new CEO and trustee at Mysten Labs.
Move Language Creator Remains Involved
Blackshear said that he remains dedicated to programming in the Move language. He has worked on the language for over eight years, and hopes to remain active, with the planned Move Foundation offering support to the future governance and adoption of the language.
Secure smart contract building was the initial intent for Move, and it has become the backbone of Sui’s blockchain design. The resource-oriented programming model is designed to decrease some of the common vulnerabilities in smart contracts and increase asset safety.
Blackshear also lauded Mysten Labs’ engineering team, noting that it is the best technical team that he has ever worked with in his career.
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AI Security Becomes a Growing Blockchain Priority
This is coming as an ever greater number of blockchain developers are targeted with AI-driven cyber attacks. AI can facilitate the identification of vulnerabilities, the creation of exploits, the enhancement of phishing attack methods, and the reduction of the attack cycle in decentralized networks and environments, security researchers have said.
Meanwhile, AI is playing a crucial role as a defensive tool. Companies are spending on automated methods of threat detection, vulnerability analysis, and security monitoring that can be faster than the work using humans.
Even after his departure, Mysten Labs said their roadmap is not changing. Blackshear said he believed that change is naturally a good leader, having brought in many of the company’s biggest engineers at Apple and Meta.
Meanwhile, Blackshear remains affiliated with the project, and the Move Foundation is moving forward, the Sui ecosystem will serve as a continuity, while one of its founding architects embarks on a new venture in the AI-powered cybersecurity realm.
