Apex DeFi Labs Appoints Stephen Burnham and Jamil French as Corporate Advisors

NEW YORK, July 28, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Apex DeFi Labs Inc., the parent holding company behind DeFi Assets LLC and the VYASA platform at veepcapital.com, today announced the appointments of Stephen Burnham and Jamil French as Corporate Advisors. Together they bring over 60 years of combined experience across Wall Street brokerage, international securities markets, private fund law, and regulatory compliance — strengthening the company's leadership as it prepares for the full-market launch of VYASA — The Enterprise Operating System for Private Capital Markets.

"Stephen and Jamil bring the precise combination of capital markets credibility and compliance depth that Apex DeFi Labs needs at this moment. Their appointments reflect our commitment to building not just a technology platform but an institution the industry can trust."

— Pramod Attarde, Co-Founder & CEO, Apex DeFi Labs Inc.

Stephen Burnham — Corporate Advisor

Mr. Burnham is a Series 24 Principal at Regiment Securities LLC (FINRA/SIPC) with over 33 years of experience spanning equity, fixed income, FX, derivatives, investment banking, private placements, and clearing. He served as Regiment's Founding CEO and CCO from 2021 to 2024, shepherding the firm through FINRA's new member approval process. Previously he held senior roles at Edelweiss Financial Services in New York and at Marco Polo Securities and Marco Polo Network, one of the first firms to offer electronic FIX-based access to emerging-market exchanges across Turkey, India, Brazil, Mexico, and beyond. He served as Assistant General Manager and part-owner of Bender Securities in Istanbul, a firm later sold to Deutsche Bank. He holds Series 7, 24, 55, 3, 79, 63, and 66 licenses and graduated from Dartmouth College in 1982.

"VYASA tackles the exact pain points that have slowed private capital formation for a generation — fragmented compliance, manual KYC, and no technology built for the middle market. The regulatory moment is here, and VYASA is positioned to be the platform of record."

— Stephen Burnham, Corporate Advisor, Apex DeFi Labs Inc.

Jamil French — Corporate Advisor

Mr. French is a Partner at Pierson Ferdinand LLP, advising private funds, family offices, GP management teams, general counsels, and company boards. His career spans Simpson Thacher & Bartlett and Seward & Kissel, where he represented blue-chip institutions and fund sponsors including Carlyle and ESL; Associate General Counsel and CCO at Sandell Asset Management ($7B AUM); and Managing Director and Chief of Staff at Credit Suisse. From 2016 to 2020 he obtained Series 7/SIE and Series 63 licenses and founded an investment advisory firm connecting capital with high-conviction ideas. He holds an A.B., cum laude, from Princeton University and a J.D. from Harvard Law School, is a 2026 Legal 500 Elite Lawyers honoree, a 2018 Institutional Investor Hedge Fund Rising Star, and is admitted to practice in New York, Florida and before the United States Supreme Court.

"The regulatory window for tokenized securities has opened decisively. Apex DeFi Labs has built the compliance and AI infrastructure to serve participants at exactly the right moment. I look forward to contributing my experience in law, compliance, and capital markets as the team executes on this vision."

— Jamil French, Corporate Advisor, Apex DeFi Labs Inc.

About Apex DeFi Labs Inc.

Apex DeFi Labs Inc. is a Delaware C-Corp and the parent holding company of DeFi Assets LLC (which operates VYASA — The Enterprise Operating System for Private Capital Markets at veepcapital.com), AI Adya LLC (JUBEO AI Engine), and Vivasvat Revolutions Ltd., India (OmniHealthX, Nova Era Labs, VruddhiX). The company is raising a $5M Reg D 506(c) round at a $60M pre-money valuation. Investor inquiries: apexdefilabs.com/investor-registration.