1inch co-founder says he was fired, announces new venture

Anton Bukov, the co-founder of 1inch, said that he was completely exiting his role in the company’s operations after more than seven years.

In a Thursday X article, Bukov said that he had departed 1inch to launch a new project called Second Tier. Although he said he will remain a co-founder with a 50% ownership in the company, 1inch and Bukov released contradictory statements online regarding his role since last year.

According to Bukov, he was “fired” from 1inch in November 2025 after “push[ing] for change” in the company’s management and operations. 1inch followed by posting its own account to X, saying that the co-founder “had not been actively involved in any associated organizations” related to the project since December 2025.

“I no longer take part in the company’s operations,” said Bukov. “And, most importantly, I have no role in its product architecture or its security, and no oversight of either.”

Source: 1inch

Bukov co-founded 1inch in May 2019 with developer Sergej Kunz, who remains in charge at the company. In a Thursday X post, Kunz said that Bukov’s departure “is not disrupting, will not disrupt, 1inch Network’s infrastructure or systems.”