Crypto Hiring: Crypto exchange names new CEO; Tokenization-focused firm expands

A crypto exchange named a new CEO and a tokenization-focused firm picked a leader for its new office in Canada. 

Gracy Chen is set to replace Sandra Lou as Bitget’s chief executive, the company said Tuesday. 

Chen had joined Bitget as a managing director in 2022 and was tasked with leading the company’s growth strategies.   

The crypto exchange launched a crypto-backed credit card last year usable wherever Visa is accepted and is “developing more services to support this integration,” Chen noted in a letter. 

Investing in the crypto ecosystem via the exchange’s Web3 Fund and EmpowerX Fund also remains “a key long-term focus,” she added.

Read more from our opinion section: Crypto custodians should learn from TradFi 

Meanwhile, crypto infrastructure firm Taurus opened its first North America office in Vancouver, Canada. 

Andrew Maledy — previously an engineering manager at Procore Technologies — is set to lead the office as the company links up with regional partners and clients of its custody and tokenization technology.

Taurus raised $65 million in a February funding round led by Credit Suisse. Deutsche Bank took part in that round too — linking up with Taurus in September to build out digital asset custody and tokenization services.  

The company gained approval from the Swiss Financial Market Supervisory Authority (FINMA) in January to open its digital assets marketplace to retail clients.

Read more: Tokenization top of mind for Taurus in 2024 after FINMA approval

Taurus now has eight offices on three continents, as it has also recently expanded to Zurich, London, Paris, Frankfurt and Dubai.

Other notable hires

• The foundation behind the SKALE modular blockchain — designed for gas-less Ethereum scaling — named Andrew Saunders as its first chief marketing and growth officer.
• Ronak Jethava is now head of ecosystem marketing at Startale Labs.

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