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

Research Report Templates.png

Research

Nubank has scaled to 127M customers with a sub-$1 cost-to-serve, driving industry-leading profitability and a 31% ROE. Its model blends rapid monetization, strong operating leverage, and expanding verticals, from AI-driven lending to crypto, insurance, telco, and premium offerings like Ultravioleta. With 6.6M crypto users and new stablecoin payment pilots, Nu is becoming a major digital-asset gateway in LATAM. Despite rising NPLs and rate volatility, its efficiency and growth momentum support upside potential.

article-image

MegaETH’s mainnet beta launch is imminent; meanwhile, equity perpetuals markets accelerate across HIP-3 providers

article-image

With every generation, new problems arise — usually caused by the previous generation’s solutions

article-image

Markets retreated on Monday amid renewed macro uncertainty, with every index in the red except crypto minders

article-image

The need for a public, verifiable ledger system may have prompted the creation of an ancient mountain site

article-image

With markets still lagging, indices for BTC, crypto miners, and the Solana ecosystem are down

article-image

As DevConnect kicks off in Buenos Aires, Vitalik and friends call for a reset