Change at the Top of Bitstamp
Posted by Colin Lambert. Last updated: May 9, 2022
Just 18 months after being appointed CEO of crypto exchange Bitstamp, Julian Sawyer has left the firm to “pursue other opportunities”. He is replaced by JB Graftieaux, who has been with Bitstamp as Europe CEO since May 2021.
After a career in consulting, Sawyer become CEO of UK start up Starling Bank in 2015, a role he held until 2019 when he left to become managing director for Europe at digital exchange Gemini – a role he held for under a year before he de-camped to Bitstamp.
Bitstamp says Graftieaux brings 20 years of experience in the crypto, payments, and financial sectors to his role, including more than a decade at PayPal and eBay. In his last role at eBay, he was managing director of eBay Europe, where he led the company’s regulatory operations for payments and served on the board of directors for several eBay entities.
From 2014-2016, Graftieaux served as Bitstamp’s chief compliance officer, where he was responsible for obtaining regulatory licenses for its EU-based business and operations, leading Bitstamp to become the first regulated cryptocurrency exchange in Europe.
the firm says that since rejoining the company last year, Graftieaux has accelerated its growth in Europe, securing several institutional partnerships and growing the company’s headcount.
“Our strategic vision is to help build the financial ecosystem of tomorrow,” says Graftieaux. “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.”
Bitstamp recently launched Bitstamp-as-a-Service in the Americas, a service that helps financial institutions provide digital asset exposure to their customers, it had been an offering in Europe for five years. In the last months, the company also obtained registrations and licenses in North America and Europe.
“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,” says Nicolas Huss, chairman of the board of directors of Bitstamp.