Anton Bukov, co-founder of the decentralized exchange aggregator 1inch, has revealed that he was fired from the project in 2025 and is now launching a new venture called Second Tier. Bukov said he no longer takes an active role at 1inch and had been pushed out after pushing for changes to the company’s management and operations.
The departure marks a significant leadership change at one of the most widely used platforms in decentralized finance. 1inch confirmed that Bukov has not been involved with the project since December 2025, though the company disputed aspects of his account, noting that he contributed to a team effort and was never formally an employee who could be fired.
Bukov’s new project, Second Tier, is a DeFi venture focused on addressing inefficiencies in concentrated liquidity management. The timing of the launch aligns with a broader industry shift as DeFi protocols seek to improve capital efficiency and user experience amid a competitive landscape.
The situation highlights ongoing tensions within crypto projects as they mature and professionalize. Disagreements over strategic direction and operational structure are not uncommon as decentralized platforms navigate the transition from startup mode to more established operations.
Industry observers note that the departure of a founding figure can have implications for a project’s development roadmap and community sentiment. However, 1inch has continued to operate and develop its product suite, including the recent release of research commissioned from Dune that identified significant underutilization of concentrated liquidity across DeFi markets.
The Dune study, which 1inch commissioned, found that 85% of concentrated DeFi liquidity is idle, with approximately $150 million in annual fees foregone as a result. This research aligns with the types of inefficiencies that Bukov’s new venture aims to address.
It remains to be seen how Bukov’s departure and new project will affect the broader 1inch ecosystem, but the co-founder’s exit adds to a pattern of leadership changes across the crypto industry as companies restructure around revenue generation and operational efficiency.
This article was adapted from Cointelegraph. Read the original here.
