Luxembourg-registered crypto exchange, Bitstamp, has announced the appointment of JB Graftieaux as global CEO, effective May 7, 2022.
The news follows the appointment of Ave King as Asia Pacific chief compliance officer earlier this year, with the region primed to set the precedent for fast-evolving global crypto regulation.
A spokesperson for Bitstamp told FinanceAsia that with the new appointment, the firm's strategic vision remains focussed on growing the company as a globally recognised brand.
“Asia Pacific is an important region within this overall strategy. Our long-term outlook on the region is very good, especially as we continue to introduce new and innovative products." The contact referenced the firm's Bitstamp-as-a-Service offering, which aims to address the needs of an increasingly mainstream market for digital assets, such as through the incorporation of crypto trading into popular apps.
Graftieaux replaces Julian Sawyer, who joined the firm as global CEO in October 2020. The announcement said Sawyer left the exchange to pursue other opportunities, without giving further details.
Graftieaux returned to Bitstamp in May 2021 as Europe CEO, having served as the firm’s chief compliance officer between 2014 and 2016, during which time, he obtained a regulatory licence for Bitstamp’s EU-based business and operations. Bitstamp claims to be the first regulated cryptocurrency exchange in Europe.
Between his two Bitstamp stints, Graftieaux served as managing director and board member at eBay Payment. He was earlier executive and chief compliance officer at PayPal.
“As the longest-running and highly trusted crypto exchange in the world serving millions of users, our strategic vision is to help build the financial ecosystem of tomorrow,” said Graftieaux, in the release.
With 500 employees and an experienced executive leadership team, Bitstamp is well positioned to continue accelerating access to crypto, he added.
The firm last month published a report on investor confidence which found that 80% of institutional investors believe cryptocurrency will become a popular investment, potentially overtaking many traditional asset classes, within the next 10 years.
The survey also found that emerging economies place a higher trust in cryptocurrency than developed economies.
Bitstamp Asia managing director, Andrew Leelarthaepin, earlier told FA sister publication, CorporateTreasurer, that he expects increasing regulation to boost institutional confidence and trust in cryptocurrency markets.
