1inch Co-Founder Says Company Fired Him, Unveils New Venture

Decentralized exchange aggregator 1inch Network is a bellwether platform in DeFi, drawing close scrutiny of its technology and operating strategy. As a key architect of the platform, co-founder Anton Bukov's decisions and changes to his ownership stake affect not only 1inch's internal management but also technological development and community trust across the decentralized finance ecosystem.

Bukov said 1inch fired him in November 2025 after he pushed for management changes and that he withdrew from operations starting in December. He announced a new project called Second Tier while retaining a 50% stake in 1inch. In an official statement, 1inch confirmed that he had not been involved in its operations since December of that year.