Crypto Platform Matrixport Hires Big-name Coinbase Exec To Build US Business

Blockworks exclusive: Anthony DeMartino, former head of risk strategies at Coinbase, has joined Matrixport, the company confirmed today

article-image

ANTHONY DEMARTINO, MATRIXPORT | SOURCE: ANTHONY DEMARTINO / LINKEDIN

share
  • The splashy appointment comes as a number of crypto companies are cutting staff in an effort to maintain their margins in a turbulent market
  • One source dubbed his departure a “big blow” for Coinbase

Matrixport has landed a prized former Coinbase executive to lead the cryptocurrency investment platform’s US business, according to two sources familiar with the matter. 

Anthony DeMartino, a Wall Street veteran, was most recently head of risk strategies, institutional decentralized finance and derivatives trading at Coinbase. The lengthy title, one source who has done business with the exchange said, indicates DeMartino’s departure deals a “big blow.”

Matrixport representatives confirmed the hire. A Coinbase spokesperson did not respond to multiple requests for comment. DeMartino declined to comment.

Cynthia Wu, Matrixport’s chief operating officer, told Blockworks that company executives are convinced DeMartino’s “experience, passion and style fits Matrixport very well.”

Having previously spent time at traditional finance institutions — including managing director-level positions overseeing aspects of emerging-market trading for Barclays and HSBC — DeMartino is known by industry participants to keep strict tabs on a deep rolodex of Wall Street contacts. 

That, sources said, was especially important to Coinbase’s yearslong push to develop something similar to a traditional prime brokerage — including lending, trading and clearing, as well as capital introduction. Though exchanges and other crypto financial firms have worked to develop such an all-in-one, plug-and-play product, most traders say it’s still a pipe dream, leading to a hodgepodge of different service providers based in different time zones investing in different corners of crypto markets.

Coinbase recently announced steep layoffs in response to a market downturn that has eroded once-lucrative trading fees. Although exchanges have tried for years to diversify their revenue streams to reduce reliance on such fees, results have been mixed. 

Matrixport, meanwhile, appears to still be on the hiring trail — an outlier in a crypto landscape where most layoffs are measured as better or worse than expected, but expected, nonetheless.

Tags

Decoding crypto and the markets. Daily, with Byron Gilliam.

Upcoming Events

Javits Center North | 445 11th Ave

Tues - Thurs, March 24 - 26, 2026

Blockworks’ Digital Asset Summit (DAS) will feature conversations between the builders, allocators, and legislators who will shape the trajectory of the digital asset ecosystem in the US and abroad.

Old Billingsgate

Mon - Wed, October 13 - 15, 2025

Blockworks’ Digital Asset Summit (DAS) will feature conversations between the builders, allocators, and legislators who will shape the trajectory of the digital asset ecosystem in the US and abroad.

recent research

Unlocked by Template (1).jpg

Research

As AI supercharges surveillance, privacy becomes a prerequisite and the winning stack will combine confidentiality with selective disclosure. Zcash’s Tachyon, composable standards on Ethereum/Solana, and compliance-aware pools aim to make private rails the new norm.

article-image

Staking levels in the ether funds will depend on protocol unstaking queue times and anticipated redemption activity, firm says

article-image

ETF inflows, miner strength, and tightening supply drive Bitcoin past its prior peak amid renewed demand for scarce assets

by Blockworks /
article-image

The Guidestar team, led by Alex Nezlobin, will join Uniswap Labs to enhance automated market maker design and smart order routing

by Blockworks /
article-image

Zac Prince spearheads Galaxy’s push into consumer banking with high-yield cash, crypto, and stock trading features

by Blockworks /
article-image

Swiss regulator Gespa is assessing whether FIFA’s tokenized ticket sales for the 2026 World Cup violate gambling laws

by Blockworks /