Ex-FTX Exec Lands at Payments Tech Company Nuvei

Adam Jacobs, who began working at crypto exchange FTX in June 2021, started his role at Nuvei this month

article-image

Blockworks exclusive art by Axel Rangel

share

FTX’s former global head of payments has resurfaced as an executive at payments technology company Nuvei weeks after the crash of his ex-employer.

Adam Jacobs, who began working at crypto exchange FTX in June 2021, began his role as a senior vice president of corporate development for the Montreal-based company this month, according to his LinkedIn page. 

Nuvei is a public company that connects businesses to customers via 150 currencies and nearly 600 alternative payment methods. The company acquired crypto payments company Simplex for $250 million last year. 

Jacobs declined to comment about the move. 

With crypto exchange FTX filing for bankruptcy last month and other large industry players dealing with ripple effects of the collapse, headhunters previously told Blockworks that talented crypto employees are chasing a dwindling number of spots.

A number of former staffers from FTX have expressed an interest in remaining in the Web3 space, WorkInCrypto.Global founder Sam Wellalage said at the time. 

While Jacobs was at FTX, the exchange partnered with Visa. The firm said in October that it intended to launch Visa debit cards linked to users’ FTX accounts in 40 countries. 

The payments giant terminated its agreements with FTX, a Visa spokesperson told Blockworks after the exchange filed for bankruptcy.

Before joining FTX, Jacobs founded crypto payment provider Spend.com. The company was acquired by cryptocurrency Visa card issuing platform Swipe — ultimately bought by Binance — in March 2021.

Jacobs also was previously an adviser to an Ethereum co-founder from April 2017 to March 2021, his Linkedin profile indicates.


Get the news in your inbox. Explore Blockworks newsletters:

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.

recent research

allora-image.png

Research

Decentralized AI coordination networks solve crypto's growing architectural mismatch: applications built on trustless infrastructure shouldn't depend on centralized intelligence providers. By turning model outputs into competitive marketplaces, protocols like Allora are building the permissionless intelligence layer that AI-powered DeFi and autonomous agents require.

article-image

For new growth, crypto may need to shed tired norms like over-raising and the hoarding of investment resources

article-image

Ethereum rolls out Fusaka, setting the stage for a stronger blob fee market and renewed deflationary potential

article-image

Futuristic DeFi is stuck inside the computer. An old idea might be its escape hatch

article-image

Money market indicators are flashing liquidity stress again as crypto underperforms equities

article-image

From passageways to penumbras: a history of private life

article-image

BTC’s Asia-session move and Ethena’s weaker yields reflect a market adjusting to tighter yen funding and softer derivatives carry