Bitstamp appoints new global CEO

JB Graftieaux, who joined UK-, Luxembourg- and US-based Bitstamp in May 2021 as the fintech’s Europe chief executive officer, has 20 years of experience in crypto and payments

Crypto exchange Bitstamp has appointed JB Graftieaux as its new global chief executive officer.

Graftieaux succeeds Julian Sawyer, who has decided to pursue other opportunities, and took over on 7 May.

Graftieaux, who joined UK-, Luxembourg- and US-based Bitstamp in May 2021 as the fintech’s Europe chief executive officer, has 20 years of experience in crypto and payments, including more than a decade at PayPal and eBay.

In his last role at eBay, he was managing director of Europe, where he led the ecommerce giant’s regulatory operations for payments and served on the board of directors for several entities.

From 2014 to 2016, Graftieaux served as Bitstamp’s chief compliance officer and led the fintech’s bid to become the first regulated cryptocurrency exchange in Europe.

Since rejoining Bitstamp last year, Graftieaux has accelerated the fintech’s growth in Europe, securing several institutional partnerships and growing its headcount.

Commenting on his appointment, Graftieaux said: “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.” 

“Together with our highly experienced executive leadership team, and more than 500 employees, we are well positioned to continue to accelerate crypto access for our valued clients and partners across the globe. As global CEO, I look forward to building on this strong foundation.”

Graftieaux’s appointment as global chief executive officer follows several significant months for Bitstamp, including the launch of Bitstamp-as-a-Service in North and South America.

Bitstamp-as-a-Service, which helps financial institutions provide simple, secure digital asset exposure to their customers, has been available to European clients for the past five years.

The fintech has also recently obtained registrations and licences in North America and Europe to accelerate its business, and established several major partnerships with banks and institutions.

Nicolas Huss, chairman of the board of directors at Bitstamp, said: “JB was with Bitstamp in its early days, and has admirably led our European business over the past year. We’re pleased to welcome a CEO with such an impressive track record, and very much look forward to the contribution and perspective he will bring to the company in his new role.”

Images: Bitstamp

Mark Dugdale